Impact of late ECS coach Jim Heinz stretches from high school football to NFL Pro Bowl

When Morgan Cox made his second Pro Bowl appearance in 2017, the NFL gave each of the players the opportunity to fly a person who had a profound impact on their lives to Orlando to see the game. 

The decision was easy for Cox. It had to be longtime Evangelical Christian School football and baseball coach Jim Heinz. 

"He's who I think of when I think of examples of someone who has had a huge impact on my life. Not only from a football standpoint but as a leader. He's an incredible leader," Cox said. "Everybody in the city respected him.

"He's just a person of character and there was no person more deserving to be honored at an important football setting than him. He's a winner, he did it the right way, and he did it for a long time." 

Heinz, 76, died last Thursday. He coached at ECS from 1978-2010 and won seven state titles — four in football and three in baseball.

His funeral service is set for 11 a.m. Thursday at Harvest Church in Germantown. 

Cox, a former Tennessee Vol and current Baltimore Ravens long snapper, said it meant a lot to see the Tennessee Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame coach get his name called at a banquet, have a meal with other coaches and mentors, and set foot on the practice field. The pair captured the moment with a photo together wearing matching red "AFC" caps after the game. 

"It was so cool for me because here's this man that really set me up for where I was at the Pro Bowl among the best of the best football players in the world, and here he is, the person that set me on a trajectory to get there," Cox said.

Cox was selected for the 2020 Pro Bowl game last month. It will be his third appearance.

ECS won 2019 title for Heinz

During Heinz's tenure, the ECS football team won titles in three different classifications and three different decades. According to the ECS website, Heinz has the most football state title game appearances in Shelby County history with seven.

Heinz later worked at Briarcrest as the school's middle school and elementary school athletic director. He returned to the ECS football staff this season as an assistant coach under first-year coach Trey Adams. Heinz coached Adams at ECS. 

"When I got named head coach, one of the first things I did was to bring him back home. He spent 32 years at ECS and for us to have him with us was tremendous," Adams said. "And also as a first-year coach, I knew the importance of surrounding myself with someone like that. He really helped install our entire offense, myself and him. Everything we did culturally from a program standpoint, I bounced every idea off of him and he always had great wisdom and insight."

The Eagles went 13-1 and were the only Memphis-area team to make it to Cookeville as they beat defending state champ Christ Presbyterian Academy in the DII-AA state title game. Heinz had to miss time toward the end of the season for health reasons, but the Eagles were thrilled to win one last gold ball in his honor.

"It was meant to be. I couldn't be happier. That was for Coach Heinz. There was no question about it," said linebacker Austin Hill. "We said that before the game, not knowing what we know now but because he was recovering after being in the hospital for so long. I was so happy that we could do it for him." 

It was the Eagles' first title since Heinz won his last title in 2005. 

"To be able to hold the gold ball and to know that he was at home watching with the season ending the way it did was an unbelievable storyline," Adams said. 

The 'ultimate players coach'

Heinz was known for his calm and cool demeanor. He was able to find common ground with players and have meaningful conversations with them about sports, the Bible or life in general. 

"He was the ultimate players' coach. You knew he cared about you whether you were or a star for him or if you never saw the field," ECS defensive line coach Ben Todd said. "He cared about you succeeding on and off the field, spiritually, physically and mentally. He cared about the kid first and the player second." 

Hill said that when Heinz returned to football practices this summer he made it a priority to learn the name of every player. 

"He was a super approachable guy," Hill said. "He had a playsheet and a practice schedule sheet that you have every day when you're a coach at ECS. And on the back of it he had the names of every kid written down because that was the first thing he wanted to do, learn names and build relationships." 

And once he had the relationship built with the players he'd add a level of trust in them. He was the kind of coach who let pitchers and catchers call their own games, and young coaches take over at times so they could gain experience. 

"The way he cared impacted me for the rest of my life as well as countless other players and coaches," Todd said. "Knowing that I always had a sounding board and always had a friend. He would give sound advice no matter what and the way he cared meant everything."