BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Medaille College Department of Athletics has announced the hiring of Joan Johnson as the new Head Field Hockey Coach.
"We are so excited that Joan Johnson will be the new head coach of our field hockey team,” stated Medaille College Director of Athletics, Susan Roarke. “Joan brings to Medaille a tremendous coaching background with success at the collegiate, club and high school levels. She has also been an active member of the field hockey community nationally. We are looking forward to Joan arriving on campus and continuing the growth of the field hockey program under her leadership.”
Johnson joins Medaille after being Interim Head Field Hockey Coach at Juniata College in Huntingdon, P.A. for the fall of 2021. She took on the position just five days before the season started and helped place 19 of 23 players on the National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Academic team.
Before coaching at Juniata, Johnson was the Head Varsity Field Hockey Coach at Chesapeake High School from 2013-2019 in Pasadena, M.D. There, she coached the 2019 Field Hockey Coaches Association Defensive Player of the Year. Her team in 2018 was a Maryland Class 3A State Finalist for their third straight appearance in the championship and Region 3A East Champions. In 2017, her team was the Maryland Class 3A State Champions for the second consecutive year.
Johnson is most excited about taking on the team at Medaille due to how new the program is. “The position with Medaille was most attractive as a relatively new program and having the most chance to make a difference early on,” said Johnson. “I think being the only college or university in Buffalo with NCAA field hockey makes this a great reason to coach at Medaille, and help grow the sport at all levels.”
Johnson is currently the Head Coach, Founder, and Club Director of the Maryland Monarchs FHC Baltimore Country, M.D. Her love and dedication to the sport will help grow the program at Medaille.
“Throughout the years, I have found that instilling the love of the sport is the first step in creating the best players,” states Johnson. “Many of my former players are coaching now and that comes from that love of the game and the desire to give back.”
Johnson will be tasked with helping grow the program, and put together a team that will compete in the Mavericks’ first year in the Empire 8 Conference in the 2022 season.
Johnson is grateful and excited for this opportunity. “I want to thank Susan Roarke and Laura Edholm for taking a chance on me – bringing me into the program at Medaille to work hard to bring it to its full potential,” said Johnson. “I want to thank my family for their support and push to do this. My husband John, daughters Courtney and Caitlyn, my son John, and my mom June are my biggest fans and are now the newest Maverick fans! I am honored and privileged to be the newest Maverick coach!”
