Many Big Green teams will be under new leadership this season, with the women's golf team, the women's cross country team and the volleyball team all installing new head coaches prior to fall play. Many athletes are optimistic that the change in leadership will lead to renewed success in the upcoming seasons.
After longtime women's golf head coach Kevin Gibson resigned following a prolonged medical leave, Dartmouth hired Janet Coles as his replacement. Coles played on the LPGA tour for 14 years and is currently listed as a Top 50 Teacher in America by Golf for Women magazine.
Coles said her experience on the professional golf circuit will benefit her coaching at the College.
"The years of learning and putting in effort reflect in my philosophy," she said. "It's about transferring to my players what it took to play at that level."
Coles participated in over 300 tournaments in her career, including 15 U.S. Opens, where she snagged a fourth place finish in 1985.
Coles' national recognition will serve her well when trying to relate to the varsity athletes who might have their own professional or post-collegiate aspirations, she said.
"The players know I've been there, so that helps," Coles said.
Sarah Knapp '14 said she looks forward to working with Coles, as she is "very well-respected in the golf world and her qualifications are extraordinary."
Marietta Smith '12 also said she has great respect for Coles' professional and teaching career, which she believes will translate well as Coles attempts to bond with players.
"She has a wealth of experience as a player, a coach and a teaching professional," Smith said. "That's a great trifecta to have."
Coles began her collegiate coaching career in 1999 as a swing coach for the University of San Francisco. She also filled in as the Dons' head coach in the spring of 2004, leading the team to top-three finishes in every tournament in which it participated.
From 2009 to 2010, Coles was the head coach of the women's golf team at Santa Catalina High School, taking second place at the league championship.
Most recently, Coles trained individual players in California. Some of her more successful students went on to play golf for Division-I schools such as Stanford University, Duke University, Pepperdine University and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Coles said she is excited to coach at Dartmouth, citing the golf team's success and working on highly-developed courses, including the 18-hole championship golf course on campus and the extensive practice facilities.
Mark Coogan, who was an assistant women's cross country coach last year, was promoted to head coach this year. He said that while most of his day-to-day duties are the same, "it was great that the administration saw the team's progress and rewarded me by giving me a higher title."
Last season at the Division-I Northeast Regional, the women's team finished eighth of 39 teams, its best finish since placing fifth in 2004.
Captain Alexi Pappas '12 said Coogan is an incredibly accomplished runner, which will lead him to be successful as head coach.
"Having a coach that can beat you in any workout you do is really inspiring," Pappas said.
Coogan was a professional runner from 1988 to 2002 and represented the United States in the marathon at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Ga.
Coogan said the team's physical and mental well-being is crucial if the team wants to beat its competitors, so he will focus on bringing a light atmosphere to rigorous workout regimens.
"I want practice to be the funnest two hours of their day," he said.
Chrissy Supino '12 said she appreciates that Coogan is a relaxed and caring person.
"With so many authority figures in our lives, it's nice not to have another harsh one in our coach," she said.
Runners interviewed by The Dartmouth agreed that the team's overall goal this year is to dominate in the Ivy League, which will be key to securing a bid to the NCAA Championships.
Anything is possible for the team this year, according to Hannah Rowe '14.
"Mark has an unbelievable amount of faith in us and pushes us to achieve things we never thought possible for ourselves," she said.
The women's volleyball team is also starting the season under new leadership. The athletic department hired Erin Lindsey, former University of North Carolina Tar Heel coach and player, to serve as head coach last March.
Lindsey made her debut coaching performance at the Bucknell Tournament in Lewisburg, Pa., from Sept. 2-3. The volleyball team swept its three matches, winning 3-0 each time.
Lindsey was hired by North Carolina in 2005 as an assistant volleyball coach. She helped lead the Tarheels to five successful seasons, and won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season title twice.
