Cheryl Murtagh Head Coach First season at NU: 1988 Alma mater: New Hampshire ’81

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The most successful head coach in the history of Northeastern field hockey, Cheryl Murtagh returns for her 21st season at the helm of the Huskies. After finishing fourth in the Colonial Athletic Association regular season standings and advancing to the semifinals of the conference tournament in 2007, Murtagh and the Huskies look for a return to the top of the CAA in 2008. The Huskies couldn’t have a more capable leader at the helm. Murtagh led Northeastern to 10 America East titles in 15 seasons, twice stringing together four consecutive conference championships. In her 20 seasons as NU head coach, the Huskies have made 14 trips to the NCAA Tournament, including three runs to the Final Four. Murtagh has been named Northeast Region Coach of the Year seven times since the award’s inception in 1995. She enters 2008 with a 293-142-10 career record, making her the winningest female coach in NU history. The Huskies had a rare losing record in their third season in the CAA, the conference that has produced five national champions since 1991. Northeastern finished the regular season in fourth place with a 4-4 conference mark, but the team rebounded to earn a victory in the quarterfinals of the CAA Tournament and a berth in the conference semifinals. Under Murtagh, NU has recorded at least one postseason victory in 17 of the last 18 seasons. Despite a 9-12 overall record in 2007, the Huskies continued to be recognized by their peers for excellent play. Sophomore Suzanne Hazelzet was selected as the CAA Defensive Player of the Year and was also named to the All-CAA First Team. Junior Ashley Bascetta and senior Ashley Webber earned All-CAA Second Team honors while freshman Meg Sweeney was named CAA All-Rookie. Northeastern loses five seniors from 2007, but the head coach has a knack for replacing team leaders. After 19 of her 20 seasons, Murtagh has lost at least one All-America player. Yet every year, she has been able to get the very best out of her younger players and produce new stars. Murtagh has coached a total of 35 All-America selections, including 15 first-teamers, and nine conference Player of the Year winners. Many of her former players have followed her example and entered the collegiate coaching ranks. In Northeastern’s final season in the America East Conference in 2004, Murtagh led the Huskies to their 13th tournament final and their 10th championship in the 14-year history of the tournament. Over that span, NU went 24-4 in the America East tournament and went 74-19-3 in America East regular season games. By virtue of their America East title, the Huskies advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2004 for the 14th time under Murtagh. Murtagh’s 14 career NCAA Tournament appearances put her in elite company as only five coaches, including Beth Anders (Old Dominion) and Karen Shelton (North Carolina), have made more appearances. Although Murtagh has never claimed an NCAA title, she has nearly tasted its glories with three Final Four appearances, most recently with back-to-back trips in 1995 and ’96. NU came up just short of the national semifinals in 2002, losing in a penalty-stroke shootout to Michigan State in the quarterfinals, and again in 2004, falling to eventual national champion Wake Forest in the quarterfinals. But perhaps Murtagh’s most impressive year was in her rookie season of 1988, when she took a blue collar group of players to NU’s first Final Four. It was the culmination of four years as an assistant under Joan Broderick, and it set the tone for Murtagh’s career. Anyone could have predicted great things for Murtagh after starring for Bishop Fenwick High as a midfielder in the late ’70s. She moved on to compete for the University of New Hampshire and the National Elite Squad, which consisted of the nation’s top 30 players. A three-sport standout, Murtagh naturally leaned toward a career in sports and earned a bachelor of science degree in Physical Education from UNH in 1981. A minor in Business led Murtagh to complete an MBA at Northeastern in 1991, but not before she had 10 years of coaching experience under her belt. Her collegiate coaching career began with a three-year stint at Bentley coaching lacrosse, basketball and field hockey. The position led to a coveted offer from Northeastern: a full-time assistant coaching job. At the time, it was one of few such openings, perfect for a former All-American to continue in the sport of her passion. NU’s hire has paid off immensely, as a well-trained coach dedicated to building one of the best programs in the nation came on board. She has since become one of the most successful Husky coaches of all time. Entering the 2008 season, Murtagh has the second-longest tenure of any active NU coach, and is the dean of current women’s coaches. In addition to directing the Huskies, Murtagh also has taken her coaching skills to the national level, working with the U.S. National Program for over 20 years. She has served as an assistant coach with the national team and was the head coach of the Under-21 team, leading it to a gold medal. She also was the head coach for the U.S. Under-18 team, winning a pair of golds. In 2001, Murtagh was the head coach for the U.S. Under-19 team. She also directs many successful summer camps. Murtagh grew up in Peabody with her parents and older brother, John. She currently resides in Rowley.