After 24 years on the sidelines as the head men's basketball coach, Tim Heimann could not have asked for a better end to his coaching career. In front of a packed house on Basketball Homecoming, which included more than 100 former Knox basketball players, the current Prairie Fire squad rallied for a 61-56 victory over Lake Forest College on Saturday, February 23, to send Heimann out a winner. Heimann, who announced his retirement from coaching in October, earned his 258th career victory.

Before the game, Heimann was presented with a framed collage, which included a team photo from his first year as head coach, a current team photo, and action shots of the four Knox seniors. The entire 2007-08 team signed the print. The four seniors, John Baillie, Rusty Coon, Grant Kluge and Josh Moten, were honored before the game on Senior Night and were in the starting lineup.

Despite the emotion of the day, the Prairie Fire started slowly in the season finale. Lake Forest (11-12, 7-9 MWC) raced to a 19-7 lead as Knox struggled to get anything going offensively. The deficit was 13 at 26-13 with just over five minutes left in the half before the Prairie Fire got rolling.

Knox went on a 15-0 run with Kluge and Adam Estergard combining to score the final 15 Prairie Fire points of the first half as Knox took a 30-27 halftime advantage. The teams stayed close in the second half but with Knox trailing 44-41, the Prairie Fire reeled off eight straight points, which included three-pointers from Estergard and Clint Moore, to grab a 49-44 edge.

Knox seemingly took control of the game when Zach Kirven's layup gave the Prairie Fire a 56-49 lead with four minutes to play. But Lake Forest responded with seven straight points to even the score at 56-56 with 1:52 left. The Foresters had the ball with under a minute to play but the Knox defense forced a turnover. On the ensuing Knox possession, Moore was fouled and made both free throws for a 58-56 Knox lead. The Foresters had opportunities to tie but missed shots in the paint. Kluge hit a free throw and Kirven knocked down a pair in the closing seconds to secure the win.

Kluge, in his final game, finished with 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Estergard and Kirven also each scored 12 while Moore netted 11. Moten came up with seven points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists in his final contest.

With the final seconds running off the clock, the student section started chanting, "Thank you, Heimann." After the final buzzer, Heimann and the Prairie Fire met at midcourt in their normal postgame routine. This time, however, the spotlight belonged to Heimann as his former players in attendance joined the team at midcourt and applauded their former mentor.

The postgame celebration continued in the locker room as Heimann addressed his current and former players in the team meeting room area. Heimann deflected the attention, instead wanting the focus to go to the four seniors, who earlier closed their collegiate basketball careers.

A reception followed in the T. Fleming Fieldhouse. Knox College President Roger Taylor, former athletic director and head basketball coach Harley Knosher, current athletic director Chad Eisele and Heimann spoke at the reception, which included hundreds of former players and friends of Knox College.

With a photo slide show in the background, Heimann was presented with a photo collage highlighting his time at Knox by the athletic department. The evening concluded with an Old Siwash/Prairie Fire Athletic Club party at Cherry Street.

Heimann, a 1970 Knox College graduate, was a four-year basketball player for Knosher. Heimann served as Knosher's assistant coach for 10 years before taking the helm in 1984. In addition to winning more than 250 games, Heimann coached 46 all-conference performers, including 17 first team selections, and led Knox to three Midwest Conference South Division Championships. He was named the South Division Coach of the Year in 1997. At Knox, Heimann has served as an assistant football coach, head baseball coach, and head women's tennis coach. He led the Knox baseball team to a conference championship in 1986. He also worked in the Admission and Dean of Students offices, and served as a Professor of Sports Studies. Heimann will not be leaving Knox as he joins the College's Advancement Office on April 1.

Pictured below is Tim Heimann addressing current and former players after the Prairie Fire's 61-56 win over Lake Forest.

RELATED LINKS

Comments from the Tim Heimann reception following the game
Heimann announces retirement from coaching