NFHCA announces 2023 NFHCA Division III Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year

Dec 8, 2023 | 2023-2024, Division III, News

Regional Coaching Staff of the Year(3)

GENEVA, N.Y. — Six Division III coaching staffs have been recognized as their region’s 2023 NFHCA Coaching Staff of the Year. Each honoree was selected by a majority vote of their regional colleagues.

Region I

Babson College

Julie Ryan, Darly Perry, Lindsey O’Coin
  • Named New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Coaching Staff (NEWMAC) of the Year for the third straight season
  • NEWMAC regular-season and tournament champions for the third consecutive season, going undefeated in conference play
  • Advanced to the NCAA semifinals for the second time in program history
  • Set a new single-season record for wins (22)
  • This is Babson’s third consecutive Regional Coaching Staff of the Year award and the sixth in program history

Region II

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
  • This is Middlebury’s sixth-straight Regional Coaching Staff of the year award

Region III

SUNY Cortland

Tiffany Hubbard,Sue Carlin, Jessica Welsh
  • State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) regular-season and tournament champions
  • Finished the 2023 season with a 18-2 overall record, ranking sixth nationally in win percentage (.900)
  • SUNYAC Coaching Staff of the Year
  • Hubbard recorded her 100th career win at SUNY Cortland
  • This is SUNY Cortland’s fourth Regional Coaching of the Year award and the first for Hubbard at the helm

Region IV

Kean University

Leslie LaFronz, Cliff Odendo, Lia DiPiazza, Olivia Lopes, Kayla Reardon
  • Advanced to the NCAA semifinals for the first time in program history
  • Finished the 2023 season with a 14-6 overall record including a perfect 6-0 mark in Union, NJ
  • LaFronz earned her 200th career win at Kean
  • This is Kean’s first Regional Coaching Staff of the Year award

Region V

Johns Hopkins University

Jane Wells, James Albanese, Merritt Davis, Britt Walker McNei
  • Sixth-straight Centennial Conference regular-season and fifth-straight Centennial Conference tournament champions
  • Advanced to the NCAA Championship game for the third consecutive season
  • Finished the 2023 season 21-2 including a 19-game win streak during the season, the second longest win streak in program history
  • Wells won her 100th game at Hopkins on September 27 having reached the milestone in just 117 games. She is the second fastest coach, in any sport, in school history to reach the mark.
  • This is Hopkins’ fourth Regional Coaching Staff of the Year award

Region VI

Christopher Newport University

Carrie Moura, Marlene Lichty, Yaphet Melendez, Jessica Wiggins
  • Moura and staff were named the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) Coaching Staff of the Year
  • C2C regular-season and tournament champions
  • Finished the 2023 season 17-1, setting a new school record with a .944 win percentage
  • This is Christopher Newport’s first Regional Coaching Staff of the Year award

While the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) officially recognizes each institution’s field hockey coaches, the association acknowledges the important work of all staff members who contribute to a program’s success.

The 2023 NFHCA Division III National Coaching Staff of the Year will be announced on Thursday, January 11, 2024 at the NFHCA Hall of Fame reception sponsored by AstroTurf® at the 2024 NFHCA Annual Convention.

Region I photo credit: Jon Endow

Region II photo credit: Middlebury College Athletics

Region III photo credit: Darl Zehr Photography

Region IV photo credit: Larry Levanti Photography

Region V photo credit: Johns Hopkins University

Region VI photo credit: Christopher Newport University

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.