HAVERFORD, Pa. – Haverford College Director of Athletics Wendy Smith '87 has announced the hiring of Jackie Cox as head field hockey coach.
Cox arrives at Haverford after spending the last four years as the top assistant coach at nearby St. Joseph's University, where she helped guide the Hawks to two Atlantic 10 second place finishes. She replaces recently appointed coach Tracey Arndt, who has resigned for personal reasons.
"I am very pleased to have Jackie join Haverford's coaching staff,'' said Smith. "Jackie brings a high level of enthusiasm for and commitment to our field hockey program and understands our goals of pursuing excellence in both athletics and academics. Jackie's coaching background and emphasis on the student-athlete experience, both on and off the field, bodes well for the future success of our field hockey program.''
Cox is the second Hawk assistant to take over the Haverford College field hockey team. Former coach Colleen Quinn Fink, who guided the Fords to unprecedented success over the last four seasons, also served as a St. Joseph's assistant before taking over at Haverford in 2006. Fink stepped down this spring to take the head field hockey coaching position at the University of Pennsylvania.
"I am grateful for the opportunity Haverford College and Wendy Smith have presented to me," said Cox. "I am anxious to build upon the competitive and successful program already in place here and will dedicate all my energies to the continuation of its climb up the very competitive ladder of the Centennial Conference. This is the type of challenge I have sought as I'm driven to lead a program that strives for excellence on the field, in the classroom and within the community."
Cox began her coaching career at her high school alma mater, Episcopal Academy, where she assisted Gina Buggy, one of the most successful scholastic coaches in Southeastern Pennsylvania. After graduating from St. Joseph's in 2006, Cox joined coach Michelle Finegan's SJU staff where her duties included overseeing the team's strength and conditioning program as well as coordinating practices and recruiting. In Cox's four seasons at St. Joe's, the Hawks were Atlantic 10 runner-ups twice, earned one Philadelphia Philly Six title and never finished below the top four in the A-10 conference.
As a player, Cox earned a reputation as a gritty and scrappy defender for the Hawks. After playing her first two collegiate seasons at Lafayette, Cox transferred to SJU where she played in 35 games on Hawk Hill, making 21 starts. She was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2005 and also received the team's Vasquez Award for exemplifying the Jesuit value of being a "person for others." In the summer of 2006, Cox represented the United States at the Maccabi Australia International Games in Sydney.
Cox inherits a Haverford squad that last fall qualified for the Centennial Conference postseason tournament for the first time in program history. The Fords also won their first playoff game with a thrilling, 1-0 quarterfinal victory over visiting Franklin & Marshall College. The 2010 Fords return their top six point scorers, top five goal scorers and a pair of experienced goalies while losing just one starter. First-Team All-South Region defender Roxanne Jaffe, who also was honored with a first-team All-Centennial Conference selection, returns as does fellow all-conference teammates Mary Hobbs (second-team) and Alex Waleko (honorable mention).
Cox earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and Master of Education in elementary education from St. Joseph's University. She also is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and has taught exercise and spinning classes at Main Line area fitness centers. She and her husband Adrian, the head men's soccer coach at Immaculata University, were married in June and live in Wynnewood, Pa.