Northwestern, Kutztown, Middlebury take home National Coaching Staff of the Year honors

Jan 11, 2024 | 2023-2024, Division I, Division II, Division III, News

LAKE MARY, Fla. — Recognizing the pinnacle of achievement in collegiate field hockey, Northwestern University, NCAA National Runner-up, and the NCAA National Champions, Kutztown University and Middlebury College, have been named their respective division’s National Coaching Staff of the Year for their performances in the 2023 season.

The NFHCA National Coaching Staff of the Year awards were announced Thursday evening at the Hall of Fame Awards Dinner sponsored by AstroTurf at the NFHCA Annual Convention. Honorees were selected by a majority vote by their peers.

Division 1 -Northwestern University

Division I

Northwestern University

Tracey Fuchs, Georgia Holland, Will Byrne
  • Advanced to the NCAA Championship game for the third consecutive season
  • Captured both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles to claim the program’s seventh regular season title and second tournament championship title
  • Finished the season 21-2 while setting a program-record 21 straight wins from September 1 – November 17. The run included a perfect 8-0 Big Ten record – marking their first undefeated conference season since 1988
  • Fuchs named Big Ten Coach of the Year
  • Named third-straight West Region Coaching Staff of the Year
  • This is Northwestern’s third National Coaching Staff of the Year recognition
Division 2 - Kutztown University

Division II

Kutztown University

Marci Scheuing, Amber Auchenbach, Arianna Grays
  • NCAA Division II National Champions, first title in program and school history
  • Finished the season 19-3 to set a school record for wins in a season
  • Set a new program record with 14 shutouts in a season
  • Secured Kutztown’s first Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year award
  • This is Kutztown’s first National Coaching Staff of the Year recognition
Division 3 - Middlebury College

Division III

Middlebury College

Katharine DeLorenzo, Lauren McNally, Jackie Mountford, Lauren Schweppe
  • New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) regular-season and tournament champions
  • First team across any division to win six-straight NCAA Championships
  • Finished the season with an undefeated 22-0 record and are currently riding a 31-game winning streak
  • Secured Middlebury’s sixth-straight Regional Coaching Staff of the Year award
  • This is Middlebury’s seventh National Coaching Staff of the Year honor

The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) is a nonprofit organization serving field hockey coaches and supporters of the game from across the United States. The mission of the organization is to champion, strengthen, and celebrate field hockey coaches and the game. The NFHCA strives to cultivate and recognize the professional contributions of its membership and to foster and promote the growth of the sport. The NFHCA is responsible for providing a recognizable presence and voice in regard to legislation affecting the sport as well as interscholastic and intercollegiate programs.