LHU’s Rudy Inducted into Field Hockey Coaches Hall of Fame

SANFORD, FL – Thursday night saw Lock Haven University field hockey coach Pat Rudy inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Hall of Fame at the organization’s annual convention.

It was first announced in September that Rudy had been selected to the Hall of Fame as part of this year’s three-person class.

For Rudy, the 2017 season marked her 22nd at LHU – her alma mater – and in all, it was her 40th season coaching collegiate field hockey.

She will enter the 2018 season with a remarkable 593 wins, which puts her an elite class of her own. Rudy will look to become just the third NCAA coach to surpass the 600-win mark.

Rudy, a 1977 LHU graduate returned to her alma mater in 1996 after serving as head coach at Cortland State from 1981-95. Rudy entered this fall’s campaign with 583 career wins and has led her programs to outstanding success. Lock Haven made it to the NCAA Division II national title contest in two of her first three seasons, then won the national title in 2000 before advancing to the national semifinals in each of the next two years. Rudy led Lock Haven’s return to the Division I level in 2004, and the squad won five regular-season titles and four tournament championships in its first six seasons in the Northeast Conference while making the NCAA Tournament in four straight years from 2006-09. During her time at Lock Haven, Rudy has coached four national players of the year as well as multiple All-Americans and conference award winners.

Prior to returning to her alma mater, Rudy recorded a 217-67-13 record in her 15 seasons at Cortland State. She led the Red Dragons to consecutive NCAA Division III national titles in 1993 and 1994 and directed her team to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances in her tenure.

Rudy is a three-time national coach of the year.