Karen Doxey Named to NFHCA’s Hall of Fame

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Karen Doxey, retired head field hockey coach at the Collegiate School in Richmond, Virginia, will be inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2026.

Over her 43-year coaching career at Norfolk Academy and the Collegiate School, Doxey amassed eight Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) Championships and 18 League of Independent Schools titles, and more than 600 wins. She led the Collegiate School Cougar field hockey team to an impressive 544-137-24 record in her time there.

“For athletes, coaching colleagues, and administration officials, Coach Doxey is recognized as a pioneer for the sport in Virginia,” noted her nominator. “Not only was she instrumental in the formation of a state governing body for all sports, but she also established a youth program that to this day teaches the fundamentals of the game to the next generation.”

From Pennsylvania to Virginia

Doxey’s athletic career kicked off as a field hockey, lacrosse, and indoor track and field competitor at West Chester University (then West Chester State College). Playing for NFHCA Hall of Famer and legendary coach Vonnie Gros helped shape Doxey’s own coaching philosophy. She noted in a 2022 interview that, “[Gros] taught. She explained why. She made things fun. It was her passion that came through. That stuck with me. It made the sport really mean something. She had a great way of getting her point across without getting mad. You knew what she stood for.”

With a physical education degree under her belt and developing coaching philosophy, Doxey started her coaching career in 1979 at Norfolk Academy. She successfully juggled the field hockey program, the girls’ lacrosse program, physical education teaching duties, and, for four years, responsibility as the girls’ athletic director.

From there, it seems that fate came knocking. When her husband accepted a job in Richmond, the Collegiate School was also hiring, they were looking for a field hockey and lacrosse coach and a health and PE teacher, and Doxey fit the bill perfectly.

Finding a Home at Collegiate

From 1987 to 2021, Doxey became a fixture on the Collegiate field hockey sideline. When she retired in 2022, the school’s field hockey field was named in her honor.

Doxey earned two NFHCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honors and coached two NFHCA High School All-Americans and eight NFHCA All-Region selections. Six of her players were named Richmond-Times Dispatch Central Virginia Field Hockey Player of the Year, and four were named by the Times Dispatch as All-Metro Players of the Year — counted among the players on those lists was her daughter, Brooks. Notably, one of her Collegiate student-athletes, Jamie Montgomery (Whitten), went on to represent the U.S. as a member of the USA Field Hockey Women’s National Team.

Her varsity wins rank fourth on the National Federation of State High School Associations’ all-time wins list, trailing NFHCA Hall of Famers Sue Butz-Stavin (1015 wins, Emmaus High School, PA), Nancy Williams (839 wins, West Long Branch Shore Regional High School, NJ), and Eileen Donahue (777 wins, Watertown High School, MA).

During her field hockey coaching career, Doxey was also a successful athletic director. After becoming assistant athletic director at Collegiate, Doxey ascended the ranks from associate athletic director to co-athletic director, and finally athletic director in 2013 — a position she held until her retirement in 2022. Throughout her administrative career, Doxey was known as an advocate for girls’ sports, a collaborative colleague, and a generous competitor.

As a founding member of VISAA, Doxey helped shape the organization while serving on its field hockey and lacrosse committees. Doxey was recognized as a driving force in VISAA, offering Collegiate’s campus, personnel, and resources to host a variety of events.

In recognition of her longstanding contributions to the organization, Doxey received VISAA’s distinguished Silver Anniversary Legacy Award in 2025. She was also named VISAA Athletic Director of the Year in 2000.

Doxey’s commitment to growing the game extended to its youngest players. In 2004, she established the Tallyho program to introduce girls in grades 3-6 to foundational field hockey skills in a fun and engaging environment.

Continued Celebration

The 2026 Hall of Fame class will be recognized at the NFHCA Awards Dinner, which will take place during the 2027 NFHCA Annual Convention in Lake Mary, Florida on January 14, 2027. The 2026 class will be inducted alongside 2025 Hall of Famer Tracey Fuchs, who deferred her induction by a year to travel as an assistant coach with the USA Women’s National Team during their 2026 New Zealand tour.

Upcoming features highlighting each individual honoree will be published on NFHCA.org throughout the next week.

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