WILKES-BARRE – Wilkes University Athletics Director Addy Malatesta has announced the hiring of
Mollie Reichard as the school's new head field hockey coach.
Reichard comes to Wilkes from Old Dominion where she spent the 2009 season as an assistant coach and served as the Lady Monarchs recruiting coordinator. She helped Old Dominion to a 9-11 overall record, going 5-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). She also served on the South Region All-American committee for the 2009 season.
Prior to Old Dominion, Reichard served on the field hockey staff at Ohio University. While at Ohio she helped the team earn an overall record of 29-17 and a Mid-American Conference record of 15-5. In 2007 the Bobcats won both the regular season and conference tournament championships and qualified for the NCAA tournament finishing the season ranked no. 15 in the final NFHCA Coaches Poll.
Reichard went to Ohio University after spending three seasons as the Head Coach at Ridge High School in Basking Ridge, N.J. In three seasons at Ridge, Reichard earned an overall record of 45-17-4. She took the Red Devils to a county co-championship in 2004, back-to-back conference championships in 2004 and 2005, and the school's first state sectional championship and first appearance in the Group III State Championship game in 2005. In 2004 Reichard was named Newcomer of the Year for Somerset County, as well as Co-Coach of the Year. and her team was named Team of the Year. In 2005 Reichard was named a candidate for the NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year, a US Coach of the Year Candidate by TopoftheCircle, and was asked to coach the NJSIAA Group III State Senior All-Star team.
Reichard was an active club coach spending 2004-2007 with the X-Calibur Field Hockey Club in Pennsylvania. The SilverHawks won a 2005 U-14 Championship for the National Indoor Tournament, and also won a 2006 U-16 Championship at the National Hockey Festival. Several of her players were selected to Junior National Camp and Olympic Developmental Select.
She has served as a coach for the USFHA Futures Program since 2001, with her latest stint (2008) as the site director and assistant coach for the Columbus site in Region 9. She served as a coach for the St. Louis site in 2001 and 2002, and coached the U-16 Kutztown site in Pennsylvania from 2003-2007. Reichard served as the coach for the Pennsylvania U-14 team at the National Futures Championships in 2006 and 2007, leading the team to the silver medal in 2006 and the gold medal in 2007. In 2007, U-14 USA North also won the inaugural Barbara Longstreth Sportsmanship Award.
Reichard, a native of Lenhartsville, Pa., graduated from Hamburg Area High School in 1997 as a three sport letter winner in field hockey, basketball, and soccer. She then played field hockey at Division I Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State) from 1997-2000. While at SMS, Reichard was a four year starter for the Bears starting 69 of 72 career games as a defender. In 1999 and 2000, she led the Bears in scoring and defensive saves. In 2000, Reichard was named Co-Defensive Player of the Month, First Team All-Conference, and All-Tournament Team for the NorPac.
Reichard graduated from Missouri State University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Education specializing in Secondary Physical Education. She spent one year teaching with the Lebanon School District while coaching at Conrad Weiser High School, Robesonia, Pa.
In December of 2009, Reichard was named to the Hamburg Area High School Hall of Fame.
Reichard's statement:
I feel honored to have been offered the head coach position at Wilkes University. I want to thank Addy Malatesta, Paul Adams, and the search committee for recognizing what my personal attributes and professional accomplishments can bring to the development of the field hockey program. Wilkes is an outstanding academic institution that provides its student-athletes numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth and development. All faculty personnel and athletic department members that I met while interviewing were amiable, want to provide the best experience for their student-athletes, and understand that collegiate athletics is about the total development of the individual.
When I left my interview I felt invigorated with all of the possibilities Wilkes will provide me both professionally and personally. The student-athletes have good personalities, want to succeed both in the classroom and on the field, have a desire to learn technically and tactically about the game, and want the big prize - a MAC Championship ring. I feel that my coaching philosophy and principles, being a proven winner at numerous levels, and believing in fundamentals; along with having a positive energy from the staff and student-athletes, the support of the administration, and the addition of the new turf field, will help move the program towards national recognition.