Heather Stec begins her fifth season with the women's basketball coaching staff in 2018-19, serving as assistant coach.

Stec guided the Warriors to the best record of her tenure in 2017-18, winning 15 games and posting the program's first NE10 record above .500 (11-10) since the 2004-05 season. Three Warriors earned All-Conference accolades under Stec's tutelage: Alyssa Casey (NE10 Rookie of the Year, All-Conference Honorable Mentoin, All-Rookie Team), Mayson Kimball (All-Rookie Team) and Lindsay Werner (All-Conference Third Team). Stec contributed to the nation's 16th-best scoring defense (57.3), and a season that saw Merrimack hold opponents under 55 points in 11 of 27 games.

In 2016-17, Stec contributed to a Warriors' season that saw Merrimack return to the Northeast-10 Confernece Championship as the fifth seed in the Northeast Division. The Navy and Gold advanced to the Quarterfinals, winning their first postseason game in five years with an opening-round victory over Pace. Stec coached a pair of all-conference selections including all-rookie team pick Denia Davis-Stewart and honorable mention selection My'Asia Alston. 

Prior to 2016-17, Stec guided the program to 27 wins between 2014-16, qualifying for the NE10 Championship during the 2014-15 season. Merrimack has had two all-league performers under Stec's tutelage: Chloe Rothman three years ago (Third Team) and Tia Scott (Second Team) two years ago. 

Hired in August of 2014, Stec arrives after spending the previous two seasons as an Assistant Coach at Springfield College, where she was responsible for many aspects of the women's basketball program while working with post players and helping the team orchestrate a 13-win turnaround from 2012-13 to 2013-14. She created summer workout programs and helped develop a NEWMAC All-Conference First Team and NEWMAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player selection. She was also responsible for scheduling recruiting trips and film breakdown and exchange.

A former standout at Siena, Stec averaged a team-leading 13.9 ppg in her senior campaign and graduated in 2009, serving as team captain as a senior. She played two seasons professionally in Europe, including stints with the Horsholm 79ers (Denmark) and Stol Grasshoppers (Netherlands). She recently wrapped up her Master's Degree in Education at Springfield.