Bloomsburg coaching legend Jan Hutchinson (right) is presented with the PSAC Award of Merit by PSAC Associate Commissioner Will Adair (left).
Bloomsburg Coaching Legend Jan Hutchinson Becomes Sixth Recipient of PSAC Award of Merit
Part of this story is courtesy of Bloomsburg Sports Information
Bloomsburg, Pa. - Former Bloomsburg field hockey and softball coach Jan Hutchinson, the wingingest field hockey coach in NCAA history and the winningest softball coach in NCAA Division II history, was presented today with the PSAC's highest honor, the PSAC Award of Merit.
Hutchinson, who also a graduate of East Stroudsburg, was presented with the honor as a part of a day in which Bloomsburg honored three women's championship teams from its history. The PSAC Award of Merit is the conference's highest honor. Awarded to individuals with a current or previous affiliation with a league school, either as an alum, coach or administrator, it is given for outstanding and extraordinary accomplishments or services that bring exceptional recognition and honor to the conference.
The Award of Merit has previously only been presented to five individuals: Bruce Baumgartner (Edinboro) and Steve Spence (Shippensburg) in 1992, Kurt Angle (Clarion) in 1997, Chuck Daly (Bloomsburg) in 2002 and Wade Schalles (Clarion) in February of this year.
At later dates to be announced, three other individuals will also be presetned with the award - former Cheyney men’s and women’s basketball coaches John Chaney and C. Vivian Stringer - a Slippery Rock graduate - and West Chester graduate Cathy Rush, the former women’s basketball coach at Immaculata College who was recently depicted in a Hollywood film.
A true NCAA coaching legend, Jan Hutchinson spent 33 seasons as the coach at Bloomsburg University retiring in 2010. As head field hockey coach she is charge of a program that won 16 national championships and 17 conference titles in the past 29 years, while as softball coach she is the NCAA Division II all-time leader in career wins and made an NCAA-record 28 consecutive trips to the Division II championships. She also is the winningest college coach in any division with 1,806 combined wins between field hockey and softball.
FIELD HOCKEY
While at Bloomsburg, Hutchinson's field hockey squads have posted winning records in 31 of her 32 seasons and amassed an overall record of 591-75-20, for a winning percentage of .872. She is the winningest coach in NCAA field hockey history and is the only coach with over 500 victories.
Under Hutchinson, the Huskies have enjoyed many outstanding seasons and have won 16 or more games on 26 occasions. Her teams won national championships in 1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and in 2009. Her string of four straight titles (1996-99) was the first time in the history of NCAA field hockey that the feat was accomplished. Her teams have also registered nine national runner-up finishes.
In addition, the Huskies captured Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championships in 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009 and have garnered eight runner-up showings.
Hutchinson was chosen as the national Division II Coach of the Year seven times in her career, 1991, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009. Her 2006 team went undefeated and untied on its way to the NCAA D-II championship, the fourth time in school history for that to happen.
Her 2008 team set numerous school, conference and NCAA Division II marks, including a record for goals scored in a season with 161, shattering the mark of 132 set by the Huskies in 2007. She also coached Jamie Vanartsdalen, the NCAA all-time record holder for goals and points in a season and career.
Four athletes on the 2009 team achieved NFHCA All-American honors, bringing the total under Hutchinson to 54 performers who have combined to win 105 All-American awards. Under Hutchinson's leadership, 12 Bloomsburg players, including Vanartsdalen in 2007 and 2008, were also named national "Player of the Year", the most of any coach in Division II.
SOFTBALL
One of the most successful coaches ever in Division II softball history, Jan Hutchinson spent 33 seasons with the Huskies.
During her career as coach of the Huskies, Hutchinson has posted a record of 1,215-288-2 (.805) and made an NCAA record 28 consecutive trips to the NCAA championship tournament. She retired with the most wins of any NCAA Division II coach in history and is sixth on the all-time win list regardless of division (as of 2010). She is also second on the NCAA Division list and seventh overall for highest winning percentage (as of 2010).
Bloomsburg went tto the championship round 10 times, twice finishing as the national runner-up with losses each time in extra innings in the national title game. She also has six third-place showings and two fourth-place finishes. The Huskies also won the 1982 AIAW national championship.
In softball, Bloomsburg holds 16 NCAA Division II individual, team or championship records. In only her fourth season, Hutchinson won the national championship "double" in the 1981-82 school year, claiming the field hockey title in the fall and the softball championship that spring.
Bloomsburg has dominated Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference competition winning 15 softball championships. In addition, her players have enjoyed recognition in softball with 32 players earning 53 All-American awards.