THIBODAUX, La. – Nicholls State University track and field and cross country head coach Heather Van Norman has resigned, director of athletics Matt Roan announced Thursday afternoon.

"I want to thank Coach Van Norman for her efforts leading our men's and women's cross country and track & field programs at Nicholls," Roan said. "I sincerely appreciate her passion for our student-athletes' comprehensive success and I wish Coach Van Norman nothing but the absolute best."

"I am eager to immediately launch a search for a new head coach of these programs. These programs possess great potential and I am confident we will attract a head coach who will help us build and sustain championship-level success."

Since being appointed track and field head coach in January 2012, Van Norman guided four student-athletes to regionals, including javelin thrower Jaimee Springer who ended the 2013 campaign with an appearance at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Van Norman's coaching career began at Rice, where after two years she moved on to become an assistant at Georgia Tech and spent four years in Atlanta.

It was 2002 when Van Norman was named the head coach at Tulane University and spent the next seven years producing student-athletes who made 16 NCAA Championship meet appearances and 44 NCAA Mideast Regional appearances.

A sprinter for LSU from 1989-95, she was a six-time All-American for the Tigers winning three-straight NCAA outdoor titles from 1991-93, two indoor national titles in 1991 and 1993 and won both indoor and outdoor SEC titles in 1993 and 1995.