December 9, 2025 — United States Coach of the Year, the nominees

The United States Coach of the Year Award is given to a head coach or co-head coaches who made a noticeable difference in the performance of a scholastic field hockey team in a particular season. The coaching performance is not limited to progress made in the year which the award is given.

Here are this year’s 12 nominees:

• Erin Bernat, Woolwich Kingsway (N.J.) — Months after taking the position as head coach at Kingsway, Bernat managed to maintain the same mentality even after a rough start to the season. The Dragons, despite being under .500 at the start of the state tournament, won the New Jersey Group IV title playing every game on the road
• Susan Butz-Stavin, Emmaus (Pa.) — The nation’s all-time winningest coach may have done some of her best coaching this year. The Hornets have a lot of gifted players who work well together, and they were able to take home a state title after a mid-season loss that might have knocked a lesser team off-stride
• Paula Conway, La Jolla Bishop’s School (Calif.) — The Knights won a second consecutive CIF San Diego Section Open title, winning the championship in a monsoon
• Carey Fetting-Smith, Baltimore Bryn Mawr (Md.) — Two years, two titles in the IAAM Flight “A” championship. The Mawrtians team showed out well at the National High School Invitational against some of the best programs in the country
• Kent Harshman, Palmyra (Pa.) — A team which learned its lessons from playing a number of national powerhouses, the Cougars showed out in the postseason, posting a win in the state final against Lititz Warwick (Pa.)
• Emilee Mahon, Springside Chestnut Hill (Pa.) — In an extraordinarily competitive league, the Blue Devils had some quality wins in 2025
• Kristin McCarthy, The Pennington (N.J.) School — Three decades after the rebirth of the Pennington field hockey program, the school won its first NJISWAA Prep “B” Championship
• Christine (DeBow) Mitchell, Leonardtown (Md.) — The former U.S. star brought Leonardtown its first state championship since 1994 with a come-from-behind win over Severna Park (Md.)
• Brandi Ritz, Villanova Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.) — Guided the Irish through a minefield of excellent teams to win the PAISAA championship this year
• Kelly Rosborough, Uxbridge (Mass.) — Shepherded a talented and skilled team through a schedule involving the sitting state champions in the other three divisions in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
• Melissa Schimp, Landisville Hempfield (Pa.) — Guided the team into the postseason a hobbled lot, having only won six games. However, the Black Knights won their way into the PIAA Tournament for the first time since 2012, falling to an eventual PIAA Class AAA finalist in the first round
• Paul Zelenak, Newtown Square Episcopal Academy (Pa.) — Set the tone for the year when the Churchwomen beat Hill School on Sept. 12th. Continued the team’s form throughout the season and beat every team on its schedule except for Academy of Notre Dame

The awardee will be announced Dec. 30.