The winningest head coach in Northwestern field hockey history, Tracey Fuchs has reestablished Northwestern as a national powerhouse since taking over the helm on Jan. 15, 2009. Fuchs led the Wildcats to their first two National Championships in 2021 and 2024 in addition to three Big Ten titles and eight NCAA Tournament appearances. As of the close of the 2024 season, Fuchs has compiled a 240-102 record and a winning record in 15 of her 16 seasons in Evanston.
Fuchs is a truly legendary figure in the sport of field hockey having won NCAA championships both as a player and coach and serving as a leader on the United States National Team for nearly two decades. Fuchs was on staff as an assistant coach for a Team USA squad that captured its first-ever Pan American Games gold medal and earned an automatic bid to the 2012 Olympics in London. During the summer of 2013, she was an assistant coach for Team USA at the Junior World Cup in Germany. In April 2014, Fuchs received the ultimate honor in the sport as she was elected to the USA Field Hockey Hall of Fame. She currently serves as an assistant coach on the senior US Women’s National Team during Northwestern’s offseason. Most recently, Fuchs assisted the USWNT as an assistant coach during their trip to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 2024 season saw the 'Cats capture their second National Championship in program history, both falling under Fuchs' leadership. Northwestern held both the Final Four and National Championship game to shutouts, asserting their dominance in the tournament. The 'Cats put up the best season in program history with a 23-1 record, setting a single-season school record for wins in a season and captured the Big Ten Conference regular season title for the second year in a row. Fuchs coached Maddie Zimmer to claim NFHCA National Player of the Year alongside Ashley Sessa, Annabel Skubisz, and Lauren Wadas who were also awarded NFHCA first-team All-American honors.
Fuchs and the rest of the Wildcat coaching team were awarded NFHCA National Coaching Staff of the Year for the second year in a row and the third time in four seasons for their unmatched leadership in the 2024 season.
Under Fuchs in 2023, the Wildcats returned to the NCAA Championship game for the third year in a row. The 'Cats swept the Big Ten titles, claiming the first outright Big Ten regular season title since 1994 and Northwestern's second ever Big Ten Tournament title, both falling under Fuch's leadership. The dominant season posted 21 wins with the 'Cats going undefeated on the road for the first time in program history. Fuchs coached Annabel Skubisz to recognition as Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and Lauren Wadas as NFHCA West Player of the Year.
The Wildcat coaching staff led by Fuchs was awarded NFHCA National Coaching Staff of the Year, acknowledging their hard work in the 2023 season.
In 2022, Fuchs led Northwestern to its second straight NCAA Championship game and won 20 games, tying the program record that had gone unmatched for 37 years. The Wildcats opened the year as the No. 1 team in the nation under Fuchs and won their first eight games, the longest win streak to start a season since 1985. Fuchs’ in-game adjustments engineered a historic 7-1 record in overtime contests, including two penalty shootout wins in the NCAA Tournament. Northwestern also advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game for the first time since 2014.
Fuchs coached Kayla Blas to recognition as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Bente Baekers to NFHCA West Player of the Year honors. A program-record eight student-athletes were named to the NFHCA All-West Team and Fuchs’ staff was named the NFHCA West Coaching Staff of the Year.
Fuchs and the Wildcats lifted the first National Championship in program history in 2021, posting three shutouts and allowing just one goal during the run through the NCAA Tournament. The historic campaign also featured Northwestern’s first-ever win over a No. 1 opponent as Fuchs and the Wildcats beat top-ranked Iowa in dramatic fashion on the road. Fuchs coached Bente Baekers and Maddie Zimmer to first-team All-American honors, the first time Northwestern boasted two first-team All-Americans in the same season since 1991, while six student-athletes landed on the NFHCA All-West Team and three were named All-Big Ten.
Fuchs and her coaching staff were recognized as the NFHCA National Staff of the Year for their efforts in the 2021 season.
After COVID-19 pushed the 2020 season to the spring of 2021, Fuchs coached the Wildcats back to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and advanced to the quarterfinals. The conference-only campaign featured back-to-back wins over the No. 2 team in the country and a 12-6 record, including a perfect 6-0 resume at home.
Fuchs developed another superstar young talent in spring 2021, coaching true first-year Maddie Zimmer to Big Ten Freshman of the Year and All-American honors. Three student-athletes were named All-Big Ten and four were named NFHCA All-West.
Under Fuchs in 2019, Northwestern went 14-8 on the year and secured one of eight at-large bids in the NCAA Tournament. The 'Cats' tournament resume included seven wins over Top-25 ranked opponents as well as an eight-game winning streak that marked the program’s longest winning streak in nearly 30 years.
Redshirt first-year forward Bente Baekers led the Wildcats’ offensive attack in 2019, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year and NFCHA Second Team All-American Honors after leading the Big Ten with 28 goals scored and 59 points. Seniors Kirsten Mansfield, Saar de Breij, along with sophomore Kayla Blas joined Baekers in earning NFHCA All-Region selections, marking the 10th-consecutive season in which Northwestern had multiple NFHCA All-West Region honorees.
In 2017, Northwestern advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament after defeating eighth-ranked Louisville in a dramatic overtime victory. Overall, the Wildcats compiled a 15-7 record on the year and a 6-2 Big Ten record, tied for the most conference wins of the Fuchs-era. Senior Sophia Miller and junior Puck Pentenga each earned NFHCA All-American distinctions, marking the first time Northwestern landed multiple players on All-American teams since 2013.
The 2016 campaign saw the Wildcats earn a top-three finish in the Big Ten for the fourth time in five seasons. The season was highlighted by two top-10 wins over a three-day span when NU defeated No. 4 Penn State, 5-3, followed by a 3-2 victory over No. 6 Maryland as part of the team's eight-match winning streak. Isabel Flens capped her standout career by being named a second-team All-American, marking the seventh straight season that at least one Northwestern player earned All-America distinction. Flens (150 points) and Dominique Masters (152 points) both finished their NU careers ranked in the top four in school history in scoring.
The 2014 season saw the 'Cats earn a Big Ten title for the second straight year as they posted wins over three teams ranked in the top 15 to win their first conference tournament title in school history. After defeating No. 15 Iowa, NU took down host and 12th-ranked Michigan before topping No. 2 Maryland 3-1 in the title game. The victory was the second of the season for Northwestern over the second-ranked Terrapins.
The tournament title earned the Wildcats an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, the program's first tournament berth in 20 years. The team finished the campaign with a 16-7 overall mark and was ranked in the top 10 nationally for the third straight year. Junior back Lisa McCarthy was recognized as an NFHCA second-team All-American and was one of four Northwestern players to earn all-region accolades. It was the first of two consecutive All-America honors for McCarthy.
Fuchs guided NU to a share of its first Big Ten championship since 1994 during the 2013 season. The Wildcats posted a 15-5 overall record, including a 6-1 mark in conference play. For her effort, Fuchs was recognized as the Big Ten Coach of the Year. Northwestern had a pair of NFHCA All-Americans for the second straight season as Nikki Parsley was named to the second team while Tara Puffenberger was a third-team selection.
Under Fuchs' tutelage, Chelsea Armstrong established herself as one of the top players in Big Ten history. In 2012, the Perth, Australia, native became just the ninth player in NCAA Division I history to tally 100 career goals. Her 29 goals in 2012 led the nation during the regular season. A four-time first-team All-Big Ten and All-West Region selection, she was the 2010 and 2011 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year as well as the 2012 West Region Player of the Year. Armstrong was honored as a first-team All-American as a junior and a senior and a second-team pick as a sophomore.
NU posted its highest win total in 23 years during the 2012 season as it notched a 16-4 record, including recording 15 wins over a 16-game span. The squad posted seven victories over teams ranked in the top 20 in the nation en route to reaching No. 8 in the NFHCA rankings. In addition to Armstrong's accolades, Puffenberger and Parsley were also first-team All-Big Ten selections with Puffenberger being named a third-team All-American. Lisa McCarthy was recognized as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year as well as a second-team all-conference pick, pacing the league with 18 assists.
In 2011, the Wildcats proved their ability to run with any team in the country, posting four wins over teams ranked in the top 20 nationally: No. 7 New Hampshire, No. 8 American, No. 11 Cal and No. 18 Virginia.
Fuchs' 2010 season with NU saw the Wildcats in the mix for the Big Ten championship when they entered the final weekend of the conference season with a 3-1 record. Northwestern began its league slate with a thrilling 3-2 victory on the road against sixth-ranked and eventual NCAA semifinalist Ohio State, the highest ranked team NU has beaten since 1997. NU's trio of Big Ten victories in 2010 was its highest total since the league instituted the six-game conference schedule in 2000.
The 2009 edition of the 'Cats posted the highest win total (12) of any NU squad since 1995 and scored 67 goals on the year, 23 more than the season before Fuchs' arrival and just two shy of the Northwestern school record set in 1982.
Fuchs' in-game coaching ability also was prominently on display in NU's five overtime games during her inaugural season with the 'Cats as they became the first team in school history to win four overtime contests in one season. The first-year head coach also guided the Wildcats to a tight 3-2 victory at Penn State, the first Northwestern win over the Nittany Lions since 1997. On the individual side, three 'Cats earned All-Big Ten recognition in 2009, the first time that has happened for NU since 2000.
Fuchs took over as the seventh head coach in the history of the Northwestern field hockey program prior to the 2009 season, arriving at Northwestern following two championship-laden coaching stints as the associate head coach at Michigan that spanned 12 seasons (1996-2003, 2005-'08).
When Fuchs assumed her duties as an assistant at Michigan in 1996, the Wolverines had never in their history reached the NCAA tournament. That quickly changed, however, when in 1999 Michigan qualified for the tournament for the first time and advanced all the way to the championship game. Two years later, Fuchs and Michigan completed their rise to the top, winning the 2001 NCAA title. In total, Fuchs was part of six NCAA-qualifying teams as well as three Big Ten Tournament-winning squads (1999, 2000, 2005) with the Wolverines.
Fuchs also has established herself as a permanent fixture on the United States national program circuit, serving as the head coach of the U.S. Junior National team from 2005-09. In that role, Fuchs guided the 2008 team to a historic victory at the Pan American Junior Championships in Mexico City, posting a 2-1 overtime win in the finals against Argentina, which had won all five tournaments dating to 1988.
Fuchs was named USA Field Hockey's National Coach of the Year in 2005 after leading her squad to a seventh-place finish at the Junior World Cup, the best showing ever by an American team at the event.
Fuchs is one of only a handful of American coaches to attain their Level III accreditation, the highest standard of coaching licensing.
Arguably the greatest player in the history of USA field hockey, Fuchs is a two-time USA Field Hockey Athlete of the Year (1990, '93), a member of two Olympic and four World Cup teams. She has participated in more international matches (268) than any other player in U.S. field hockey history. Fuchs gained extensive leadership experience as a 17-year member of the national team, serving as team captain for 14 seasons. She racked up 69 international goals and in 1994 was named to the President's XI, a world all-star team chosen to play the Australian Hockeyroos in honor of the International Hockey Federation's 75th Anniversary.
Fuchs began her coaching career as an assistant at Connecticut, where as a collegiate player she was a three-time All-American and twice named a finalist for the Honda Broderick Award, winning the honor as the nation's top field hockey player in 1987. She also earned all-tournament recognition after helping the Huskies win the 1985 NCAA championship and graduated with seven UConn scoring records to her name.
In 2019, Fuchs was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame, the highest individual honor an athlete can receive for their contributions to high school sports.
A native of Centereach (N.Y.) High School, Fuchs earned a bachelor's degree in sports management and marketing from Connecticut in 1988 and also has a master's degree in sport leadership from Northeastern University. She currently resides in Evanston, with her wife, Susan.
Fuchs is a truly legendary figure in the sport of field hockey having won NCAA championships both as a player and coach and serving as a leader on the United States National Team for nearly two decades. Fuchs was on staff as an assistant coach for a Team USA squad that captured its first-ever Pan American Games gold medal and earned an automatic bid to the 2012 Olympics in London. During the summer of 2013, she was an assistant coach for Team USA at the Junior World Cup in Germany. In April 2014, Fuchs received the ultimate honor in the sport as she was elected to the USA Field Hockey Hall of Fame. She currently serves as an assistant coach on the senior US Women’s National Team during Northwestern’s offseason. Most recently, Fuchs assisted the USWNT as an assistant coach during their trip to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 2024 season saw the 'Cats capture their second National Championship in program history, both falling under Fuchs' leadership. Northwestern held both the Final Four and National Championship game to shutouts, asserting their dominance in the tournament. The 'Cats put up the best season in program history with a 23-1 record, setting a single-season school record for wins in a season and captured the Big Ten Conference regular season title for the second year in a row. Fuchs coached Maddie Zimmer to claim NFHCA National Player of the Year alongside Ashley Sessa, Annabel Skubisz, and Lauren Wadas who were also awarded NFHCA first-team All-American honors.
Fuchs and the rest of the Wildcat coaching team were awarded NFHCA National Coaching Staff of the Year for the second year in a row and the third time in four seasons for their unmatched leadership in the 2024 season.
Under Fuchs in 2023, the Wildcats returned to the NCAA Championship game for the third year in a row. The 'Cats swept the Big Ten titles, claiming the first outright Big Ten regular season title since 1994 and Northwestern's second ever Big Ten Tournament title, both falling under Fuch's leadership. The dominant season posted 21 wins with the 'Cats going undefeated on the road for the first time in program history. Fuchs coached Annabel Skubisz to recognition as Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and Lauren Wadas as NFHCA West Player of the Year.
The Wildcat coaching staff led by Fuchs was awarded NFHCA National Coaching Staff of the Year, acknowledging their hard work in the 2023 season.
In 2022, Fuchs led Northwestern to its second straight NCAA Championship game and won 20 games, tying the program record that had gone unmatched for 37 years. The Wildcats opened the year as the No. 1 team in the nation under Fuchs and won their first eight games, the longest win streak to start a season since 1985. Fuchs’ in-game adjustments engineered a historic 7-1 record in overtime contests, including two penalty shootout wins in the NCAA Tournament. Northwestern also advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game for the first time since 2014.
Fuchs coached Kayla Blas to recognition as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Bente Baekers to NFHCA West Player of the Year honors. A program-record eight student-athletes were named to the NFHCA All-West Team and Fuchs’ staff was named the NFHCA West Coaching Staff of the Year.
Fuchs and the Wildcats lifted the first National Championship in program history in 2021, posting three shutouts and allowing just one goal during the run through the NCAA Tournament. The historic campaign also featured Northwestern’s first-ever win over a No. 1 opponent as Fuchs and the Wildcats beat top-ranked Iowa in dramatic fashion on the road. Fuchs coached Bente Baekers and Maddie Zimmer to first-team All-American honors, the first time Northwestern boasted two first-team All-Americans in the same season since 1991, while six student-athletes landed on the NFHCA All-West Team and three were named All-Big Ten.
Fuchs and her coaching staff were recognized as the NFHCA National Staff of the Year for their efforts in the 2021 season.
After COVID-19 pushed the 2020 season to the spring of 2021, Fuchs coached the Wildcats back to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and advanced to the quarterfinals. The conference-only campaign featured back-to-back wins over the No. 2 team in the country and a 12-6 record, including a perfect 6-0 resume at home.
Fuchs developed another superstar young talent in spring 2021, coaching true first-year Maddie Zimmer to Big Ten Freshman of the Year and All-American honors. Three student-athletes were named All-Big Ten and four were named NFHCA All-West.
Under Fuchs in 2019, Northwestern went 14-8 on the year and secured one of eight at-large bids in the NCAA Tournament. The 'Cats' tournament resume included seven wins over Top-25 ranked opponents as well as an eight-game winning streak that marked the program’s longest winning streak in nearly 30 years.
Redshirt first-year forward Bente Baekers led the Wildcats’ offensive attack in 2019, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year and NFCHA Second Team All-American Honors after leading the Big Ten with 28 goals scored and 59 points. Seniors Kirsten Mansfield, Saar de Breij, along with sophomore Kayla Blas joined Baekers in earning NFHCA All-Region selections, marking the 10th-consecutive season in which Northwestern had multiple NFHCA All-West Region honorees.
In 2017, Northwestern advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament after defeating eighth-ranked Louisville in a dramatic overtime victory. Overall, the Wildcats compiled a 15-7 record on the year and a 6-2 Big Ten record, tied for the most conference wins of the Fuchs-era. Senior Sophia Miller and junior Puck Pentenga each earned NFHCA All-American distinctions, marking the first time Northwestern landed multiple players on All-American teams since 2013.
The 2016 campaign saw the Wildcats earn a top-three finish in the Big Ten for the fourth time in five seasons. The season was highlighted by two top-10 wins over a three-day span when NU defeated No. 4 Penn State, 5-3, followed by a 3-2 victory over No. 6 Maryland as part of the team's eight-match winning streak. Isabel Flens capped her standout career by being named a second-team All-American, marking the seventh straight season that at least one Northwestern player earned All-America distinction. Flens (150 points) and Dominique Masters (152 points) both finished their NU careers ranked in the top four in school history in scoring.
The 2014 season saw the 'Cats earn a Big Ten title for the second straight year as they posted wins over three teams ranked in the top 15 to win their first conference tournament title in school history. After defeating No. 15 Iowa, NU took down host and 12th-ranked Michigan before topping No. 2 Maryland 3-1 in the title game. The victory was the second of the season for Northwestern over the second-ranked Terrapins.
The tournament title earned the Wildcats an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, the program's first tournament berth in 20 years. The team finished the campaign with a 16-7 overall mark and was ranked in the top 10 nationally for the third straight year. Junior back Lisa McCarthy was recognized as an NFHCA second-team All-American and was one of four Northwestern players to earn all-region accolades. It was the first of two consecutive All-America honors for McCarthy.
Fuchs guided NU to a share of its first Big Ten championship since 1994 during the 2013 season. The Wildcats posted a 15-5 overall record, including a 6-1 mark in conference play. For her effort, Fuchs was recognized as the Big Ten Coach of the Year. Northwestern had a pair of NFHCA All-Americans for the second straight season as Nikki Parsley was named to the second team while Tara Puffenberger was a third-team selection.
Under Fuchs' tutelage, Chelsea Armstrong established herself as one of the top players in Big Ten history. In 2012, the Perth, Australia, native became just the ninth player in NCAA Division I history to tally 100 career goals. Her 29 goals in 2012 led the nation during the regular season. A four-time first-team All-Big Ten and All-West Region selection, she was the 2010 and 2011 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year as well as the 2012 West Region Player of the Year. Armstrong was honored as a first-team All-American as a junior and a senior and a second-team pick as a sophomore.
NU posted its highest win total in 23 years during the 2012 season as it notched a 16-4 record, including recording 15 wins over a 16-game span. The squad posted seven victories over teams ranked in the top 20 in the nation en route to reaching No. 8 in the NFHCA rankings. In addition to Armstrong's accolades, Puffenberger and Parsley were also first-team All-Big Ten selections with Puffenberger being named a third-team All-American. Lisa McCarthy was recognized as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year as well as a second-team all-conference pick, pacing the league with 18 assists.
In 2011, the Wildcats proved their ability to run with any team in the country, posting four wins over teams ranked in the top 20 nationally: No. 7 New Hampshire, No. 8 American, No. 11 Cal and No. 18 Virginia.
Fuchs' 2010 season with NU saw the Wildcats in the mix for the Big Ten championship when they entered the final weekend of the conference season with a 3-1 record. Northwestern began its league slate with a thrilling 3-2 victory on the road against sixth-ranked and eventual NCAA semifinalist Ohio State, the highest ranked team NU has beaten since 1997. NU's trio of Big Ten victories in 2010 was its highest total since the league instituted the six-game conference schedule in 2000.
The 2009 edition of the 'Cats posted the highest win total (12) of any NU squad since 1995 and scored 67 goals on the year, 23 more than the season before Fuchs' arrival and just two shy of the Northwestern school record set in 1982.
Fuchs' in-game coaching ability also was prominently on display in NU's five overtime games during her inaugural season with the 'Cats as they became the first team in school history to win four overtime contests in one season. The first-year head coach also guided the Wildcats to a tight 3-2 victory at Penn State, the first Northwestern win over the Nittany Lions since 1997. On the individual side, three 'Cats earned All-Big Ten recognition in 2009, the first time that has happened for NU since 2000.
Fuchs took over as the seventh head coach in the history of the Northwestern field hockey program prior to the 2009 season, arriving at Northwestern following two championship-laden coaching stints as the associate head coach at Michigan that spanned 12 seasons (1996-2003, 2005-'08).
When Fuchs assumed her duties as an assistant at Michigan in 1996, the Wolverines had never in their history reached the NCAA tournament. That quickly changed, however, when in 1999 Michigan qualified for the tournament for the first time and advanced all the way to the championship game. Two years later, Fuchs and Michigan completed their rise to the top, winning the 2001 NCAA title. In total, Fuchs was part of six NCAA-qualifying teams as well as three Big Ten Tournament-winning squads (1999, 2000, 2005) with the Wolverines.
Fuchs also has established herself as a permanent fixture on the United States national program circuit, serving as the head coach of the U.S. Junior National team from 2005-09. In that role, Fuchs guided the 2008 team to a historic victory at the Pan American Junior Championships in Mexico City, posting a 2-1 overtime win in the finals against Argentina, which had won all five tournaments dating to 1988.
Fuchs was named USA Field Hockey's National Coach of the Year in 2005 after leading her squad to a seventh-place finish at the Junior World Cup, the best showing ever by an American team at the event.
Fuchs is one of only a handful of American coaches to attain their Level III accreditation, the highest standard of coaching licensing.
Arguably the greatest player in the history of USA field hockey, Fuchs is a two-time USA Field Hockey Athlete of the Year (1990, '93), a member of two Olympic and four World Cup teams. She has participated in more international matches (268) than any other player in U.S. field hockey history. Fuchs gained extensive leadership experience as a 17-year member of the national team, serving as team captain for 14 seasons. She racked up 69 international goals and in 1994 was named to the President's XI, a world all-star team chosen to play the Australian Hockeyroos in honor of the International Hockey Federation's 75th Anniversary.
Fuchs began her coaching career as an assistant at Connecticut, where as a collegiate player she was a three-time All-American and twice named a finalist for the Honda Broderick Award, winning the honor as the nation's top field hockey player in 1987. She also earned all-tournament recognition after helping the Huskies win the 1985 NCAA championship and graduated with seven UConn scoring records to her name.
In 2019, Fuchs was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame, the highest individual honor an athlete can receive for their contributions to high school sports.
A native of Centereach (N.Y.) High School, Fuchs earned a bachelor's degree in sports management and marketing from Connecticut in 1988 and also has a master's degree in sport leadership from Northeastern University. She currently resides in Evanston, with her wife, Susan.