A former standout player for the Saints, Heather Stec '09 enters her fifth season on the staff for head coach Terry Primm in 2025-26, and her first as the Director of Basketball Operations.
An intricate part of the Saints’ success since returning to the staff prior to the 2020-21 season, the former Siena standout helped guide the program to a Women’s National Invitation Tournament Postseason berth in 2025, as well as two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Semifinal appearances in 2023 and 2024. After aiding the Saints to their first MAAC Opening Round bye in five seasons during his first campaign back with the team in 2021-22, Stec helped guide one of the youngest teams in the nation in 2022-23 to a fourth place regular season finish and both the program's first winning record and MAAC Semifinal appearance since 2018. Siena boasted an 11-5 home record and a nine-win improvement while garnering five MAAC postseason honors - including Elisa Mevius winning MAAC Rookie of the Year honors. The team led the league in scoring offense and saw Mevius and classmate Teresa Seppala claim a combined 12 MAAC weekly honors - including Mevius becoming the first player in conference history to take home Player and Rookie of the Week honors on the same day. Siena ended the year with three players in double-figure scoring, six averaging seven points per-game or greater, and eight averaging more than 20 minutes per-game.
Upon transitioning to the program's Director of Basketball Operations, head coach Terry Primm said: “Heather has been a key contributor to our program over the years, and I am thrilled to elevate her into the role of Director of Basketball Operations. Her attention to detail, passion for Siena Women’s Basketball, and commitment to our student-athletes make her the perfect fit to oversee the day-to-day operations of the program. We’re excited to see her continue to thrive in this new role.”
A five-year member of the Saints from 2004 through 2009, Stec averaged a team-leading 13.9 points per game her senior season which led to an All-MAAC Second Team selection. Known for her presence in the post, Stec also averaged 6.8 rebounds over her career, totaling up 682 career rebounds which ranks 12th all-time. She also was successful in the classroom, earning three MAAC All-Academic Team awards. She would also serve as a team captain her senior year in 2008-09.
“I am deeply grateful to Coach Primm for this opportunity,” said Stec. “This new role enables me to stay closely connected to the Siena program and community I care so deeply about, while also creating balance for my growing family. I look forward to this next chapter and the privilege to help the program continue to grow and succeed under Coach Primm’s leadership!”
Before returning to Siena, Stec spent three seasons on staff an assistant coach at Army West Point. Under her guidance, two separate Black Knights received All-Patriot League recognition in Madison Hovren (2018-19) and Alisa Fallon (2019-20, 2020-21). Hovren was tabbed to the league’s first team 19.1 points per game and 13.1 rebounds per contest. Her 13.1 rebounds ranked fifth in the nation. Fallon was tabbed to the third in back-to-back seasons after averaging 12.1 points per contest in her sophomore year. She was one of just three underclassmen to earn all-league nods. Additionally, in 2019-20 Hope Brown was named to the league’s all-freshman team, while Lauren Lithgow earned those honors this past season.
Previous to joining the West Point coaching staff, Stec spent the previous four seasons as an assistant at Merrimack. In her last season at Merrimack, Stec helped the Warriors claim 15 victories and compile the program's first NE10 winning record (11-10) since the 2004-05 campaign. The team had a strong defensive season, ranking 16th in the nation in scoring defense, holding the opposition to 57.3 points per contest. During her four years at Merrimack, the Warriors made two NE10 Tournament appearances and Stec saw seven of her players earn all-conference honors, including the 2018 conference rookie of the year.
Prior to arriving at Merrimack, Stec spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Springfield College, where she helped the team achieve a 13-win turnaround from 2012-13 to 2013-14 and become the lowest seed to ever win the NEWMAC Tournament. The tournament victory was the program's first since 2006 and the team advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Stec also had a stint as an assistant coach at Cazenovia College for the 2011-12 season as well as with several international teams in the Netherlands and Denmark from 2009-11.
Following her collegiate career at Siena, she went overseas and played two seasons professionally in Europe, including stops with the Horsholm 79ers (Denmark) and Stol Grasshoppers (Netherlands).
With the 79ers, she was tabbed the Player of the Year, Forward of the Year, Import of the Year and received first team all-league honors en route to a national championship. As a key cog on the Grasshoppers, Stec was named the Defensive Player of the Year and earned first team all-league recognition.
Stec graduated from Siena in 2009 with a bachelor's in Biology before completing her Master's in Athletic Counseling at Springfield in 2014. Stec and her wife Avery currently reside in Menands with their daughters, Emelia and Adeline.
