Former Middlebury football and men's tennis coach Michael "Mickey" Heinecken has been announced as an inductee for the 2026 Vermont Sports Hall of Fame. Heinecken is part of the 10-member class set to be honored on April 25. 

A three-sport athlete at the University of Delaware, Heinecken excelled on the gridiron, helping the Blue Hens earn the 1959 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) title and Lambert Cup Trophy. He was also an Associated Press (AP) honorable mention Little All-American and a 1960 All-MAC selection.

After coaching at Delaware for seven seasons, Heinecken was named the 13th official head coach in Panther history in 1973. The program saw immediate success under his tutelage, achieving a 7-1 mark in three of the first five seasons under Heinecken. He was named the New England Coach of the Year in 1977 and 1981 before leading Middlebury to a triumph over the #1 team in the nation, Union, during the 1983 season.

Heinecken's leadership continued to bolster the program in the next few decades. In his final season at the helm in 2000, the Panthers went 7-1 and earned a share of the first NESCAC Championship. Over 28 seasons, Heinecken led Middlebury to 126 victories and a .567 winning percentage. Under his watch, eight players were named All-Americans. The head coaching position carries his name today, endowed the Michael G. Heinecken Head Coach of Football in 2005.

Alongside his football coaching duties, Heinecken also served as the head coach of the men's tennis program from 1973-88. He posted an 82-73 record over his 16 years at the helm.

With this honor, Heinecken joins Tom Lawson (2015) and Missy Foote (2017) as the third Panther coach to be inducted into the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame. He is also a 2019 inductee of the Middlebury Athletics Hall of Fame.

The class will be formally inducted on Saturday, April 25, at the 2026 Vermont Sports Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Celebration at the Delta Marriott Burlington Hotel. The evening begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony. The full list of honorees can be found here.