Jack Heron (basketball)

{{short description|American basketball player and coach}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Jack Heron

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1926|7|28}}

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2012|1|10|1926|7|28}}

| death_place = Dubois, Wyoming, U.S.

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1947–1949

| player_team1 = Whitman

| player_years2 = 1949–1950

| player_team2 = Sacramento State

| player_positions = Guard

| coach_years1 = 1964–1968

| coach_team1 = Sacramento State (assistant)

| coach_years2 = 1968–1978

| coach_team2 = Sacramento State

| coach_years3 = 1979–1984

| coach_team3 = Sacramento State

| overall_record = 196–258

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Jack E. Heron (July 28, 1926 – January 10, 2012) was an American basketball coach. He is the winningest coach in Sacramento State University history.

Heron, from Worland, Wyoming, played collegiately for Whitman College and Sacramento State. After coaching at the high school level in Shoshoni, Wyoming, and Sacramento, Heron joined Everett Shelton staff at Sacramento State.{{cite web | title = Former longtime basketball coach Jack Heron passes away | publisher = Sacramento State athletics | year = 2012 | url = http://www.hornetsports.com/sports/mbball/release.asp?release_id=10074 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130125131102/http://www.hornetsports.com/sports/mbball/release.asp?release_id=10074 | url-status = dead | archive-date = January 25, 2013 | access-date = January 15, 2012 }}

Following Shelton's retirement in 1968, Heron was named head coach, where he remained until 1984 (with the exception of the 1978–79 season, which he missed due to illness). Heron amassed a record of 196–258 (.432), making him the school's all-time leader in wins.

Heron died on January 10, 2012, in his home in Dubois, Wyoming.