RELEASED: May 15, 2003

DANVILLE, KY—Six years ago if you had told Tom Hobbs he'd be involved with field hockey, he might have laughed at you.

Last week Centre College named Hobbs as the new head field hockey coach.

Hobbs, a 2002 Centre graduate, replaces Deb Whitten, who led the Lady Colonels in 2002 to a 10-8 record and a second-place finish in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

"I'd actually never seen a field hockey game until I was a [Centre] student," Hobbs said.

As a student, the Hardinsburg, Ky., native became the field hockey squad's team manager as part of a work-study program.

"Then-coach Kelly Kiernan said to me one day, 'Well, if you're going to be around, you're going to learn the rules and how to play.' So I began to learn during practices and quickly became addicted to the sport. It was so different from anything else I'd done before. And much harder than it looked."

The 2003 season will be Hobbs' sixth year with the Colonels' field hockey program. He's coached with U.S. and international players and has coached at numerous camps and clinics throughout the past year. Hobbs coached in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Massachusetts, in addition to holding his own clinics and camps in Kentucky during the summer. In the off-season, Hobbs plays club hockey in Lexington.

Hobbs, who was a four-year member of the men's golf team, said there's a lot of talent in the Centre program and he has big plans for the future.

"I'd like to see us get a little more aggressive on the offensive end of the field. Defensively we will be very strong in the 2003 season. With eight seniors returning overall, I expect us to show a lot of effort and poise."

Whitten, though sad to go, sees good things for Centre's field hockey team.

"I thoroughly enjoyed my time and experience at Centre and in Danville," she said, "but I have strong ties back home in British Columbia. I feel Tom is very capable of leading our team to a successful future."

Athletic Director Brian Chafin has been pleased with Whitten's performance.

"Deb has raised our field hockey team to another level, and I believe Tom will maintain this level."

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