Field hockey coach named SCAC Coach of the Year

RELEASED: December 6, 2007

DANVILLE, KY—To say that Tom Hobbs '02, Centre field hockey coach and recently named Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) coach of the year, is proud of his team is an understatement.

"This season we scored 20 more goals than last season, doubled our assist total, had 11 scorers, 10 different people with assists, and cut our goals-allowed total down, as well," Hobbs says.

In his third year as coach, Hobbs led his team this season to become the top NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region team. The Colonels also finished the regular season with a 12-3 record--the best in school history--including a 10-0 start before playing in its first ever NCAA Field Hockey Championship.

Hobbs' success is not measured solely in goals made and feats achieved, but rather in knowing that he and his players "did it the right way."

"We worked hard, played as a team and trusted one another to do our jobs to the best of our abilities," he says. "And we had a blast doing it. That's what it takes to be successful at anything in life."

Looking back at 2003, the first year he coached field hockey at Centre, Hobbs remembers recruiting student athletes with the intention of knocking on the door of an NCAA Tournament bid within four years. Having accomplished that, Hobbs hopes in four more years to be knocking at the door of an NCAA championship.

"I'm confident that we can continue to achieve if we stick to the process that helped us this season," Hobbs says.

Hobbs is already preparing for next year's season: he's traveling to Europe to train and learn from some of the best field hockey clubs in the world.

Teresa Johnstone '09, who was named to two different All-American teams this season, looks forward to her senior year and to playing for the man who holds the team to three principles: family, integrity and accountability.

Johnstone says that Hobbs "has a real talent for motivating the team and winning big games, but allows everyone to enjoy the game itself at the same time."

Despite the team's record-breaking season, Hobbs recognizes that his players are students first and athletes second.  

"I encourage them to study abroad, to pursue internships, to join different social organizations and to enjoy the complete Centre experience," he says. "I want players who are intelligent and interested young people that desire the balanced college experience that Centre provides."  

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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