Jim Solien
SAN DIEGO – San Diego State baseball head coach Kevin Vance has added to his coaching staff with the recent hiring of Kevin Heiss as assistant coach.
Heiss arrives on The Mesa after spending the past four seasons as an assistant at his alma mater the University of Rhode Island, where he played collegiately under Vance from 2016-19.
In his role, Heiss will coach the Aztecs’ infield defense and assist with hitting and baserunning while serving as the team’s recruiting coordinator.
"Kevin is a tireless worker and his attention to detail and passion for the game are what set him apart,” Vance said. “His advanced understanding of how the body works and how each player is unique will play a huge role in player development. He played under me for three years and he’s built different. His endless charisma and energy will be a huge asset for us on the field and the recruiting trail.”
With Heiss on staff, URI set a program record for victories in 2025, compiling a 38-22 overall mark, highlighted by Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season and tournament championships, along with an appearance in the Baton Rouge Regional. The team's No. 3 seed was the highest in school history
Numerous program records were also established during the Rams’ historic 2025 season, including hits (637), runs scored (539), RBIs (492), home runs (88), triples (24), walks (354), stolen bases (125), slugging percentage (.511) and fielding percentage (.973).
In addition, URI finished the year among the nation’s leaders, ranking fifth in runs scored (539), ninth in scoring (9.0 runs/game), ninth in on-base percentage (.428) and 20th in hits (637).
Individually, third baseman Anthony DePino received a trio of All-America honors with Heiss’ assistance, including second-team accolades from ABCA/Rawlings and third-team laurels from Perfect Game and D1Baseball.com, while outfielder Eric Genther earned a spot on the ABCA/Rawlings All-Northeast Region team alongside his Ram teammate.
Both DePino and Genther joined the professional ranks earlier this month. DePino was chosen by the Chicago White Sox in the seventh round of the MLB Draft, while Genther signed with the New York Yankees as an undrafted free agent.
Additionally, Heiss helped coach shortstop Addison Kopack to first-team all-conference and all-region honors in 2022. Kopack is currently playing for the Fort Wayne TinCaps, a High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.
Heiss began his coaching career in 2019 as a graduate assistant at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland, where he was elevated to interim head coach in October 2021 before returning to Rhode Island. While at McDaniel, Heiss coached a pair of all-conference performers in Joey Hublinger and Billy Wheatley.
As a collegiate player, Heiss appeared in 159 games at URI, serving as the Rams’ starting shortstop from 2017-19. He was selected as team captain as a senior, setting career highs with 44 hits, 30 runs scored and 21 RBIs while stealing eight bases.
During his freshman campaign in 2016, Heiss was a member of a Rhode Island squad that captured the Atlantic 10 tournament championship and earned a spot in the Columbia (S.C.) Regional, where the Rams upset the host Gamecocks in their regional opener before two straight losses ended their season.
A native of Silver Spring, Maryland, Heiss received his bachelor’s degree in communications from Rhode Island in 2019 before earning a master’s in kinesiology from McDaniel College.