Mariano Earns Coach-of-the-Year Honors
Franklin & Marshall field hockey coach Melissa Mariano has been named the Dita/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III South Region Coach of the Year. The honor is the third coach of the year accolade of 2011 for Mariano, who was previously named the Centennial Conference (CC) Coach of the Year and Synapse Sports National Coach of the Year.
Mariano is one of six regional Coaches of the Year invited to the NFHCA Coaches Recognition Luncheon on Friday, Jan. 13, in Philadelphia, where the Dita/NFHCA National Coach of the Year will be announced.
Mariano guided the Diplomats to a school-record 17 wins, the program's first-ever CC regular-season title and an appearance in the conference title game. F&M then made its first NCAA Division III Tournament appearance since 1992, advancing to the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual national runner-up Middlebury College, 2-1.
