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Football
Marini, Heather
Heather Marini
- Title:
- Assistant Coach, Quarterbacks
- Email:
- heather_marini@brown.edu
- Joined Brown:
- May 2019-January 2025
- Alma Mater:
- Deakin Univ. '09 / Monash Univ. '14
Heather Marini spent six years (five seasons) on the Brown coaching staff from 2019-2024, which included four seasons as Brown’s quarterbacks coach. Marini joined Brown as an Offensive Quality Control Assistant ahead of the 2019 season, before becoming the first female position coach in Division I history in March 2020 when she was promoted to Assistant Coach, Quarterbacks. During her tenure at Brown, she was the only female position coach in Division I football.
Following the 2024 season, Marini accepted a position with the NFL Academy in her native Australia.
In her time on College Hill, Marini helped Brown’s offense and quarterbacks develop into one of the most potent and high-scoring units in FCS Football.
Brown’s offense was once again among the top of the Ivy League in 2024 as the Bears led the league in passing offense (290.7 yds/game) for the third time in the last four seasons and led the league in total offense (421.8 yards/game). Marini was responsible for coaching quarterback Jake Willcox to Honorable Mention All-Ivy honors, while leading the Ivy League and ranking fourth in FCS with 24.6 completions per game, second in the league and 24th nationally with 2,497 passing yards, and 13th nationally with 249.7 passing yards per game.
The 2023 season saw Brown lead the Ivy League and rank sixth in the FCS in passing yards per game (300.0), with Jake Willcox leading the league and ranking second nationally in both passing (292.4) and total yards (301.7), earning Second Team All-Ivy honors.
In 2022, Brown ranked third in the Ivy League in passing offense at 247.2 yards per game, with Jake Willcox ranking second in the league at 255.1 passing yards per game.
Marini coached Brown’s quarterbacks to another historic season in 2021, led by senior All-American EJ Perry. Under the tutelage of Marini, Perry earned numerous accolades, including being named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, a Stats Perform Third Team All-American, the Bulger Lowe Award winner as the top Division I football player in New England, the Bushnell Cup winner as the Ivy League’s Offensive Player of the Year, and First Team All-Ivy honors. He was named the MVP of the East-West Shrine Bowl and became just the second Brown player in program history to be invited to the NFL Combine.
Brown’s offense led the Ivy League and ranked eighth in the nation with 311.9 passing yards per game, and was 12th nationally in total offense at 445.3 yard per contest.
As a quality control assistant in 2019, Marini helped Brown’s offense average 30.0 points per game, doubling their scoring output from the previous season. She worked with Brown’s talented quarterback group, led by Perry, who earned First team All-Ivy honors after leading the nation and setting an Ivy league record for total offense.
Marini was invited to attend the NFL Women’s Careers in Football Forum in 2017, 2018, and 2020, as well as the NFL Rookie Coaches Clinic in 2018.
Prior to Brown, Marini worked as a summer scouting specialist for the New York Jets. She worked with the Monash University Warriors Gridiron Club as the head coach for three seasons and Quarterbacks Coach/Coaching Development for three years.
Marini has also played football competitively. She was selected to play on the Australian National Team at the 2022 IFAF Women’s World Championships in Finland. She spent time with the Boston Renegades of the Women’s Football Alliance, serving as a quarterback and punter, and was on the team’s league championships squads in 2021 and 2022. She previously played for the Gridiron Victoria Women’s Tackle Football team where she was the Rookie of the Year and First Team All-State, and Monash Warriors Women’s Gridiron, where she was the team’s offensive MVP, captain and quarterback.
A native of Australia, Marini earned a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science at Deakin University in 2009 and a Bachelor of Emergency Health from Monash University in 2014. She and her husband, Kieren, have a son, JD.
COACHING TIMELINE
Following the 2024 season, Marini accepted a position with the NFL Academy in her native Australia.
In her time on College Hill, Marini helped Brown’s offense and quarterbacks develop into one of the most potent and high-scoring units in FCS Football.
Brown’s offense was once again among the top of the Ivy League in 2024 as the Bears led the league in passing offense (290.7 yds/game) for the third time in the last four seasons and led the league in total offense (421.8 yards/game). Marini was responsible for coaching quarterback Jake Willcox to Honorable Mention All-Ivy honors, while leading the Ivy League and ranking fourth in FCS with 24.6 completions per game, second in the league and 24th nationally with 2,497 passing yards, and 13th nationally with 249.7 passing yards per game.
The 2023 season saw Brown lead the Ivy League and rank sixth in the FCS in passing yards per game (300.0), with Jake Willcox leading the league and ranking second nationally in both passing (292.4) and total yards (301.7), earning Second Team All-Ivy honors.
In 2022, Brown ranked third in the Ivy League in passing offense at 247.2 yards per game, with Jake Willcox ranking second in the league at 255.1 passing yards per game.
Marini coached Brown’s quarterbacks to another historic season in 2021, led by senior All-American EJ Perry. Under the tutelage of Marini, Perry earned numerous accolades, including being named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, a Stats Perform Third Team All-American, the Bulger Lowe Award winner as the top Division I football player in New England, the Bushnell Cup winner as the Ivy League’s Offensive Player of the Year, and First Team All-Ivy honors. He was named the MVP of the East-West Shrine Bowl and became just the second Brown player in program history to be invited to the NFL Combine.
Brown’s offense led the Ivy League and ranked eighth in the nation with 311.9 passing yards per game, and was 12th nationally in total offense at 445.3 yard per contest.
As a quality control assistant in 2019, Marini helped Brown’s offense average 30.0 points per game, doubling their scoring output from the previous season. She worked with Brown’s talented quarterback group, led by Perry, who earned First team All-Ivy honors after leading the nation and setting an Ivy league record for total offense.
Marini was invited to attend the NFL Women’s Careers in Football Forum in 2017, 2018, and 2020, as well as the NFL Rookie Coaches Clinic in 2018.
Prior to Brown, Marini worked as a summer scouting specialist for the New York Jets. She worked with the Monash University Warriors Gridiron Club as the head coach for three seasons and Quarterbacks Coach/Coaching Development for three years.
Marini has also played football competitively. She was selected to play on the Australian National Team at the 2022 IFAF Women’s World Championships in Finland. She spent time with the Boston Renegades of the Women’s Football Alliance, serving as a quarterback and punter, and was on the team’s league championships squads in 2021 and 2022. She previously played for the Gridiron Victoria Women’s Tackle Football team where she was the Rookie of the Year and First Team All-State, and Monash Warriors Women’s Gridiron, where she was the team’s offensive MVP, captain and quarterback.
A native of Australia, Marini earned a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science at Deakin University in 2009 and a Bachelor of Emergency Health from Monash University in 2014. She and her husband, Kieren, have a son, JD.
COACHING TIMELINE
| Season | School/Team | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2012-2017 | Monash University | Head Coach (2012-14), Quarterbacks Coach (2015-17) |
| 2018 | New York Jets | NFL Summer Scouting Specialist |
| 2019 | Brown | Offensive Quality Control Assistant |
| 2020-2024 | Brown | Assistant Coach, Quarterbacks |
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