Shippensburg University field hockey head coach Tara Zollinger left the Raiders to become the University of Delaware field hockey head coach on Wednesday, March 26, as the Blue Hens announced by press release on March 17.

The position at the University of Delaware became available in early February after former head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof stepped down.

Zollinger had been the SU field hockey coach since 2017 and has won three NCAA Division II National Championships during her eight years. During her tenure at SU, the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so she only coached the Raiders for seven seasons.

“Tara did an exceptional job during her time at Ship,” said Jeff Michaels, the Director of Athletics at Shippensburg University, in the University of Delaware´s press release. “Tara’s tenure as head field hockey coach leaves a lasting mark on our program, department and university.”

Jeff Michaels acknowledged not only the success of Zollinger´s teams on the field, but also how she impacted her student-athletes off the field. 

“Her teams performed very well in the classroom, were contributors to the community and were invested socially on our campus,” Michaels said in the press release.

Zollinger herself thanked Jeff Michaels, Carrie Michaels and Ashley Grimm in the press release for the opportunities they provided her with to “grow as a coach and further my development” while she was coaching the Raiders.

“Lastly, I am forever grateful to the student-athletes, fellow coaches and support staff I have had the honor of working with,” Zollinger said in the release. “It is through their dedication, passion and commitment that I have been able to evolve into the coach I am today.”

SU coaches and players were not available to media contacts when a request was made, according to SU Sports Information Director Bill Morgal. 

Zollinger coached the Raiders to a 118-25 overall record in her seven seasons, with a 59-8 record in the regular season and earned the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Coach of the Year award twice.

In her first two years of coaching the Raiders, Zollinger won back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championships with the team in 2017 and 2018 and was the first person to do so in her first two years as a collegiate head coach.

In 2021, Zollinger guided the Raiders to an undefeated 20-0 season that culminated with her third NCAA Division II National Championship and her first ever PSAC Championship.

The Raiders kept advancing to the NCAA and PSAC tournaments in 2022 and 2023, before they won the second PSAC Championship under Zollinger´s guidance in her final season in 2024.

Overall, SU made six NCAA tournament appearances and seven PSAC tournament appearances under Zollinger, which led to 3 national championships and 2 PSAC titles. 

During her time with the Raiders, Zollinger instructed 23 All-Americans and 41 All-PSAC players.

The press release from the University of Delaware states that Zollinger is excited for her new task.

“I am incredibly honored and excited to join the University of Delaware as the head field hockey coach,” Zollinger said. “Delaware field hockey has a rich tradition of excellence, and I am eager to build upon that legacy alongside our talented student-athletes, dedicated staff and passionate community. My goal is to foster a culture of hard work, resilience and a championship mindset – both on and off the field.”

Senior Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator at Shippensburg University Carrie Michaels thanked Zollinger for her engagement at Shippensburg and wished her and the University of Delaware well for the future. 

“I am now officially a Blue Hens field hockey fan and look forward to seeing her and the program thrive,” Carrie Michaels said.

The process of finding a new head coach for the Raiders´ field hockey team has already started. The position of head women´s field hockey coach was posted to the university´s jobsite on March 20

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