Heather Kappes returns for her third season as a member of the Pioneer coaching staff. She previously served as an assistant at five-time Division II National Champion North Dakota State and a successful two-sport playing career at the University of Minnesota-Morris. She will serve as the team's recruiting coordinator along with handling travel arrangements and team compliance and coaching the post positions, game planning, scouting, and on-court assistance. She also serves as the assistant director of Sacred Heart University's NIKE summer basketball camps. Kappes served as an assistant for two seasons at NDSU under head coach Amy Ruley, who was inducted in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame this past summer and has amassed over 600 wins and five national championships in her tenure. She was involved with all aspects of the basketball program including player skill development, preparing scouting reports and recruiting. In addition to her coaching experience, Kappes was a four-year letterwinner and team captain on the Cougars volleyball and basketball teams as well as an Academic All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference selection. As a dean's list student, Kappes was a member of the 1997-98 team whose team grade point average of 3.54 ranked fourth overall in Division II. The Brainerd, MN native graduated from the University of Minnesota-Morris in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in secondary education-social sciences, psychology, and women's studies. She earned her master's degree in education at North Dakota State University.