Ernest Edward Hefferle (January 12, 1915 – August 8, 2000) was an American football player and coach.

A football star at Duquesne University, Hefferle pulled in a fourth quarter bomb from Boyd Brombaugh to win the 1937 Orange Bowl for the Dukes.

In 1965, he served under former boss Mike Nixon on the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff.

In 1975 Hefferle, then the Saints' director of pro personnel was hired as interim head after the firing of John North.

He had a record 1–7 in his one half season as the Saints interim head coach.