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  Michelle Finegan

Michelle Finegan

Player Profile

Position:
Head Coach

Experience:
11th Season at SJU

Alma Mater:
Delaware '84

Since returning in 2003 for her second stint as the head coach of the Saint Joseph's University field hockey team, things could not have gone much better for Michelle Finegan. The winningest coach in SJU history, she has taken the Crimson and Gray to six consecutive Atlantic 10 Tournament appearances, guided SJU to three straight 10-win seasons, captured Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honors (2003) for the second time in her career and recorded her 100th victory as a head coach (vs. La Salle, October 19, 2003).

Finegan returned to Hawk Hill after spending seven seasons as the head coach at Lehigh University. She previously guided the SJU program for six years (1990-95), earning conference and regional Coach of the Year honors, while leading the Hawks to both the Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament titles, as well as three A-10 postseason appearances. Her 10-year tenure as head coach and 92 victories rank as the most in school history.

One of the most respected names in the game, Finegan built the SJU program into one of the Mid-Atlantic's best during her first stint as head coach. After spending her first three years retooling the team, the Hawks went 37-22-2 over her final three seasons. She capped her run at SJU in 1995 by leading the Hawks to the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season and tournament titles, a school record 16 victories and a #17 national ranking in the final poll. She was honored as both the Mid-Atlantic Region and A-10 Coach of the Year that season. The Hawks qualified for the A-10 postseason tournament in three of her four seasons before moving on to Lehigh.

An excellent player at both the collegiate and national levels, Finegan was a standout defensive player at the University of Delaware (1978-81), helping the Blue Hens place third in the nation as a junior. She was a member of the United States National Team from 1981-86 and was an alternate on the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team that won the bronze medal in Los Angeles. She came out of retirement as a player in 1993 to start for the U.S. National Team that placed fifth at the Intercontinental Cup and qualified the U.S. for the 1994 World Cup.

Actively involved with the United States Field Hockey Association for more than two decades, Finegan has played a role in developing players throughout the nation since the inception of the USFHA Futures Program. She has also served as head coach of the Pennsylvania Pride in the USFHA Summer League.

A 1984 graduate of the University of Delaware, Finegan earned her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. She resides in Buckingham, PA with her husband John and five children.

Finegan, who went 53-59-7 in her first tenure at SJU, is now 92-98-7 in 10 years on Hawk Hill. She has a career record of 133-179-7 in 16 seasons as a Division I head coach.

Atlantic 10 Conference, links to atlantic10.org N C A A, links to ncaa.org