July 1, 2010
Release on Harvard Official Website | Follow Penn State Field Hockey on Twitter
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Former Penn State All-American Jen Long was named assistant field hockey coach at Harvard on Thursday. Long wrapped up a stellar collegiate career in 2008 by being named an All-American for a third straight season. The former four-year starter joins a long list of past Nittany Lions to join the coaching ranks.
Long's decorated career included three All-Big Ten honors along with winning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year twice. She was also a finalist for the Honda Sports Award presented to the nation's top collegiate field hockey player.
Her Penn State squads enjoyed tremendous success, winning two Big Ten Titles while advancing to the National Championship Game in 2007. Long's teams went an incredible 62-25 over her four years which included four NCAA Tournament appearances.
Also strong in the classroom, Long was named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad all four years and an Academic All-Big Ten honoree on three occasions.
Long has been active on the national stage as a member of the USA Field Hockey development squad in 2008 and `09. She recently participated on runner-up Team PA at the USA Field Hockey High Performance National Championship in Virginia Beach. She comes in with prior coaching experience, for the X-Calibur Club in Pottstown, Pa. and then for Labrador Hockey Club on Australia's Gulf Coast.
Current Nittany Lion head coach Charlene Morett, a Penn State alum herself, has seen a number of former players pursue coaching careers. Long joins an endless number of Penn State alums in various coaching positions, including Lisa Bervinchak-Love, Sharon-Kuntz Herlocher and Annie Zinkavich who serve as assistants at Penn State. Chris Blais and Becca Main Kohli are both head coaches, at Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac, respectively, while Mandy Robinson Hart is an assistant at Stanford, as is Mallory Weisen at Lock Haven (just to name a few).
Check back to GoPSUsports.com throughout the summer for continued updates as the 2010 Nittany Lions looks ahead to the season.
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