Nancy Stevens Position: Head Coach Email: nancy.stevens@uconn.edu

University of Connecticut field hockey coach Nancy Stevens and the word success are synonymous.

Entering her 24th season at Connecticut and her 35th overall as a head coach, Stevens has firmly secured the tradition of UConn field hockey among the nation's best.

Recognized as one of the top collegiate field hockey coaches in the nation, she has compiled an impressive 551-171-24 record for a .755 winning percentage over her previous 34 seasons. Overall, she ranks second among active Division I coaches in overall wins (551) and ranks first in games coached (746) - entering 2013.

Stevens has guided the Huskies to the NCAA Tournament in 16 of the last 17 seasons overall and during that span, Connecticut has earned 12 NCAA quarterfinal berths and advanced to the NCAA National Semifinals five times. The Huskies are currently enjoying a streak of 11 straight NCAA berths, dating back to 2002.

Stevens became the second coach all-time to win 500 games when the Huskies defeated No. 5 Syracuse, 2-1, to win the 2009 BIG EAST Tournament Championship.

Stevens is one of a select group of U.S. collegiate coaches to attend an International Hockey Federation (FIH) High Performance Coaching Course. The 25 coaches in attendance included top European club coaches as well as coaches preparing their teams for the Olympic Games. From this course, she received a further recommendation to attend an FIH Final Coaching Development Course.

Stevens has taken two Division I programs to a No. 1 ranking (Connecticut in 1999 and Northwestern in 1985). Her record at UConn over 20 years stands at 370-121-8 (.751).

Under Stevens, the Huskies have qualified for the BIG EAST Tournament in 22 of her 23 seasons, with a league record 12 different squads (2012, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1996 and 1992) winning the conference tournament title.

The 2012 season was the 17th UConn squad under Stevens that earned a berth to the NCAA Division I Championship, as her 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996 and 1990 teams qualified as well.

The 2011 campaign also marked UConn's third NCAA National Semifinal berth in the six seasons and the program's fifth overall under Stevens.

Since beginning BIG EAST play in 1989, the UConn field hockey team has captured 12 of the 24 BIG EAST Tournament titles, including three in a row from 1998-2000 and four straight from 2004-07.

The Huskies have advanced to the conference championship game 19 times.

In addition, the Huskies earned 12 of the last 16 regular season titles, including a stretch of five in a row from 1996-2000 and four consecutive crowns from 2002-2005.

A seven-time BIG EAST Coach of the Year, Stevens is also a six-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association Mideast Coach of the Year (1996, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2011).

The UConn field hockey program has been ranked among the nation's elite consistently throughout Stevens' career. In 1999, the Huskies sat atop the national poll for five consecutive weeks. After opening the year No. 6 in the nation, UConn defeated then top-ranked Penn State to take over at No. 1. Connecticut remained undefeated through the end of the regular season, before losing to eventual national finalist Michigan.

Before taking over at Connecticut, Stevens served as the head coach at Northwestern University for nine years. She led the Wildcats to eight consecutive NCAA Division I Championship quarterfinal appearances (1982-89), three NCAA semifinal games (1983, 1985 and 1989) and four Big Ten Championships (1983, 1984, 1985 and 1988).

During her final season in 1989, Stevens directed her Wildcat field hockey team to an 18-4-1 record and a third-place finish in the NCAA Championship. Her 1985 team also finished third at the NCAA Championship.

In 1988, she was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year when her team went 17-2-1, winning the league title and making an appearance in the NCAA Quarterfinals. In her nine-year career at Northwestern, Stevens' teams had an overall record of 152-35-12, for an impressive .764 winning percentage. Her student-athletes also maintained a perfect 100 percent graduation rate while at NU.

Stevens has developed 25 first team All-Americans, 16 at Connecticut and nine while at Northwestern.

Additionally, three of her players at Northwestern were finalists for the Honda Broderick Award, with forward Jennifer Averill voted the winner in 1985. Former UConn All-America Kristen Kelly was named a finalist for this award in 1994. The program's all-time leading scorer, Lauren Henderson, was a finalist for the prestigious honor in 2004. Most recently, Lizzy Peijs was recognized as one of four finalists for the national player of the year award in 2006 while Lauren Scherer was a finalist in 2009 and Melissa Gonzalez a finalist in 2010.

Stevens also acted as Northwestern's assistant lacrosse coach for nine years and helped guide the Wildcats to five NCAA Championship appearances in her final seven seasons.

She has been a part of the U.S. Field Hockey National Coaching Staff, serving in that capacity from 1982-1990. In 1997, she took over as coach for the U.S. Under-19 National Team - named "Team of the Year" by U.S. Field Hockey. She was head coach of the U.S. Junior National Team from 1982-84, while coaching in the U.S. Olympic Developmental Program. Stevens has been a U.S. Olympic Festival head coach five times since 1985, leading her team to a gold medal in 1986 and to a silver medal in 1985.

Prior to coaching at Northwestern, Stevens was head field hockey and lacrosse coach at Franklin and Marshall College for two seasons. Her 1979 F&M team placed second at the AIAW National Championship, while her 1980 team reached the quarterfinals.

A member of the U.S. National Team from 1974-79, she competed in the 1975 World Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland. That team was captained by former UConn coach Diane Wright.

Originally from Manheim, Pa., Stevens received her bachelor's degree in education, summa cum laude from West Chester University in 1976. She captained the 1975 field hockey team at West Chester that won the AIAW National Championship. She was a 2003 inductee into the West Chester University Hall of Fame.

In 1979, she received her master's degree in sports psychology from Penn State. There, she also served as assistant field hockey and lacrosse coach from 1977-79, with the lacrosse squads winning AIAW National Championship titles in 1978 and 1979.

Stevens holds annual summer camps at UConn and is a longstanding member of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA).

Stevens has also served on the U.S. Olympic Committee's Athlete's Advisory Council and the U.S. Olympic Committee's Membership Committee. In addition, Coach Stevens has held the positions of Vice President in the U.S. Field Hockey Coaches Association and was a former Vice President of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.

Stevens' Coaching Highlights

• 2007 NFHCA Hall of Fame Inductee
• Eight NCAA Semifinal Appearances
• 20 NCAA Quarterfinal Appearances
• 12 BIG EAST Regular Season Titles
• 12 BIG EAST Tournament Titles
• Seven-Time BIG EAST Coach of the Year
• 1997 U.S. Under-19 National Coach
• 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2011 Mideast Region Coach of the Year
• 1988 Big Ten Coach of the Year
• U.S. Field Hockey Team National Coaching Staff (1982-90)
• U.S. Junior National Team Head Coach (1982-84)
• U.S. Olympic Festival Head Coach North Team 1985-87 & 1989-90
• National Team Trials Assistant Coach (1982-2000)
• 41 First Team All-America selections
• Seven U.S. National Team members
• 71 First Team All-BIG EAST selections
• Has led the Huskies to 11 consecutive NCAA Tournament berths from 2002-12 with two national semifinal and five national quarterfinal appearances
• Guided Huskies to five consecutive NCAA Tournament berths from 1996-00 with two national semifinal and three national quarterfinal appearances
• 2003 inductee into the West Chester University Hall of Fame
• 2006 inductee into the Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame

Stevens' Playing Highlights

• U.S. National Team member & World Cup Team player
• Captain, National Collegiate Champions - West Chester University
• Gold Medal, U.S. Olympic Festival

The Nancy Stevens File