2015 High School Coaches of the Year

The PA/NJ Region and National Coach of the Year for the 2015 season is the nation’s new all-time winningest coach in High School Field Hockey, Sue Butz-Stavin from Emmaus High School.  As equally impressive as the coaching milestone she passed just two games into the season when she earned her 840th win, is the undefeated Conference, District, and State Championship season she led her team to this Fall.

This year’s New England Region Coach of the year is Winnacunnet High School’s Heidi Hand.  Hand led Winnacunnet to back-to-back New Hampshire Division I State Championships.  The Warriors finished the 2015 season 15-1-1, outscoring opponents 58-6.  Hand continues to build on her impressive coaching resume: In 6 years at Winnacunnet she is 86-11-2 with six final four appearances, five state championship appearances, and four state titles.

This year’s Northeast Region Coach of the Year is North Kingstown High School’s long-time head coach Julie Maguire.  Maguire led the North Kingstown Skippers to the Rhode Island Division I State Championship, upsetting the #1 seed Barrington in the semifinal and the 3-time champions and #2 seed Moses Brown 1-0 in the final.  Maguire, who has led the Skippers to 10 state titles and 21 final four appearances in her career, was also honored as the Rhode Island Division I Field Hockey Coach of the Year.

This year’s Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year award is a special one.  Just one month before the High School season, Pocomoke High School’s long-time Head Coach Susan Pusey (pictured above on right) unexpectedly died as a result of complications from knee surgery.  Her passing left a void in the small community of Pocomoke on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.  Beyond the culture of pride and winning that she built and the 16 state championships she led her teams to, Pusey touched the lives of countless field hockey players and young women.  She was truly a beloved member of her community and the larger field hockey community.

After Pocomoke fell in the state championship game in 2014, Pusey told her assistant coach Brandi Castaneda that next year was their year, and it turns out she was right.  Castaneda, who played field hockey at Pocomoke for Pusey and then went on to coach alongside her, would be called upon to take over the head coaching role from her mentor.  Never considering herself a replacement for Pusey, Castaneda showed great strength to lead the Warriors through this extremely difficult time and through a season that was dedicated to their beloved coach.  Pocomoke finished an inspired season 16-3 and accomplished Coach Pusey’s goal for 2015: they won the Maryland 1A State Championship.  #Pusey Strong

This year’s West/Mid-West Region Coach of the Year is Thomas Worthington High School’s Terri Simonetti Frost.  Frost led Thomas Worthington to the 2015 Central Ohio League, West District, and Ohio State Championships with an impressive undefeated 20-0-1 record.  The Cardinal’s were absolutely dominating in the post-season.  They outscored opponents 20-2 and their defense allowed only 10 shots through five state tournament games.  Frost’s overall record at Thomas Worthington is now 239-62-27, including eight final four appearances, five state championship appearances, and three Ohio state championships.