Forty Under 40: Stan Heath

Before coaching a single game at Walton Arena, Stan Heath already has won over Arkansas Razorbacks fans from every corner of the state.

Heath, 36, was named coach of the basketball Razorbacks on March 27, replacing longtime coach Nolan Richardson.

Heath had led Kent State University to a 30-6 record, reaching the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight in his only year at the helm.

The Detroit native was the Mid-American Conference’s Coach of the Year and the National Rookie Coach of the Year. But he jumped at the chance to coach a perennially strong program with one of the largest on-campus arenas in the country.

Heath’s personality made an immediate impact on University of Arkansas fans, and he has been saying the things fans want to hear, including the importance of succeeding in the classroom as well as on the court.

Heath earned his bachelor’s degree in social science from Eastern Michigan University, where he was a three-year letterman. He earned his master’s in sports administration from Wayne State University in Detroit.

He has served as an assistant coach at Bowling Green State, Wayne State and Michigan State.