Brad Heppner heads into his sixth season as head men's golf coach and his 22nd season working with the men's golf program. Heppner served the previous 18 seasons as the assistant coach for the Minnesota Crookston men's golf program and has been elevated to the head post. Heppner helped the Golden Eagles to the 2002 NSIC Men's Golf Championship and team appearances in the NCAA Division II Super Regional in 2003 and 2006.
Heppner has helped to elevate the Golden Eagles on the golf course during his time as head coach. The Golden Eagles finished fifth at the 2022 NSIC Men's Golf Tournament, their best finish as a program since 2013-14. He helped coach Layton Bartley to a Top 10 finish, the best finish by a Golden Eagle since 2013-14. In addition, Heppner helped Connor Humble to an All-NSIC First Team accolade, the first since Matt McClure in 2013-14.
In 2024-25, the Golden Eagles had another outstanding season. The maroon and gold finished with four, top-five finishes, including a second place finish at the MSU/CSP Fall Brawl in mid-September. Heppner also coached Marc Bofarull Balleste to a top-five finish at the NSIC Championships and a spot on the all-tournament team in the Northern Sun, the first Golden Eagle to do that since the 2010-11 season.
Heppner started as an assistant coach for
Jason Tangquist in 2000 when the program was started. He was Tangquist's right-hand man for his 17 seasons as the head coach, before
Bryant Friskop became the head coach for the 2017-18 season. Heppner also served as the assistant coach for Friskop, who stayed on staff for the Golden Eagles as head women's golf coach and assistant women's basketball coach.
Heppner helped the Golden Eagles to their first-ever NSIC Championship as a program in 2002. The team title remains the only NSIC Championship for a Minnesota Crookston program to this day. Heppner helped coach Branden Schwartz to a NSIC Player of the Year Award in 2002, as he finished first in the NSIC Tournament. The squad finished eighth at the 2003 NCAA Super Regional. In 2006, Heppner helped the Minnesota Crookston men's golf team to a sixth place finish at the NCAA Super Regional, their best in program history. He also helped guide Schwartz to a seventh-place finish at the 2005 NCAA Super Regional.
During his time with the program, Minnesota Crookston men's golf has produced seven All-NSIC selections. Heppner has helped Matt McClure and Jake Sanders to All-NSIC First Team nods. Prior to All-NSIC teams, the Golden Eagles had 16 players finish in the Top-15 at the NSIC Men's Golf Championship, including four players who carded five top five finishes. Schwartz placed first in 2002 and second in 2004. Nate Dahl finished third in 2002, Tommy Mueller placed fourth in 2001, while Dan Lenz finished tied for third in 2003.
Heppner also had the pleasure to help coach his son
Seth Heppner, a Crookston native, a member of the men's golf team from 2011-16. Seth was a 2016 Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar, a first for the Minnesota Crookston men's golf program.
Heppner also works on campus at the Northwest Research and Outreach Center. His wife Kari is an elementary teacher at Highland School in Crookston.
