Brian Heuer’s love of soccer was formed in his youth and continued as an adult as the coach of the New Milford High School soccer team.

The New Milford resident is being remembered for his mentoring both on and off the field by family, friends and colleagues after his death on Sunday at age 45.

Heuer is survived by his wife, Leigh, his son Jack, his daughter Mackenzie, his parents Deborah and Brian, his siblings Keith and Kimberley, and many other relatives.

Joseph Ricciardelli, the high school’s athletic director, said the death of his friend was “sudden” and that it was hard for him to even speak about Heuer, whom he hired more than eight years ago after volunteering for the team for two years.

"He's the kind of guy that made you laugh every day," Ricciardelli said. "He made you smile every day. That's why kids loved him. He was a student of the game. He's able to teach soccer at any time, no matter who it was or what level it was."

Heuer was a “perfect fit” for the coaching position, according to Ricciardelli, having played the sport at Oratory High School in Summit and with the Union Lancers Soccer Club, and at La Salle University.

Ricciardelli said Heuer as coach was someone who got the most of his players and always fielded competitive teams against tough competition in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference.

In the fall, the team won eight games and advanced to the NJSIAA North 1, Group 1 tournament as the 11th seed, where it was defeated by sixth-seeded Pompton Lakes. He spent eight years as head coach of the Knights and led them to four straight winning seasons from 2012 to 2015.

"His teams always seemed to peak at the end of the year," Ricciardelli said. "He always got the most out of what he had because of the way he coached and how much he cared about the kids."

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What Ricciardelli remembers most about Heuer was his “commitment to the kids,” whether as coach of the soccer team, as the high school’s freshman boys basketball coach, or as a volunteer baseball coach for New Milford Little League.

“He cared about the kids. He went out of his way to do things for them, college stuff, even when they were playing in club teams. He'd always look to help them out, to help them advance their careers,” Ricciardelli said.

Ricciardelli said he also feels for the family, particularly his son, a sophomore who played for his dad. Heuer died on Father's Day.

New Milford Schools Superintendent Michael Polizzi said Heuer was a “good human being, good person and friend to many.” Polizzi said there were plans for the district to devote time to remembering Heuer during the graduations at David Owens Middle School on Wednesday and the high school on Thursday.

When Heuer was not coaching, he worked as a crisis counselor for the Bergen County Special Services in Saddle Brook. He had previously worked in the corporate world for such companies as AT&T.

Visitation will be on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Vorhees Ingwersen Funeral Home in Ridgefield Park. Mass will be offered at St. Francis R.C. Church in Ridgefield Park at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Cremation will be private.

Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com