MIDDLETOWN, Pa. (WHTM) – Penn State Harrisburg announced on Wednesday that Amanda Janney Misslehorn will be the first field hockey head coach for the new program.

Misslehorn has served as a Division I coach for 14 years; she was the head coach at Indiana University for four years and spent a decade as the head coach at Temple University. Recently, Misselhorn coached Warwick High School and Donegal High School.

“We could not be more excited to bring on Coach AJ as our very first head field hockey coach,” said Penn State Harrisburg director of athletics Rahsaan Carlton. “Her experience speaks for itself but we were most impressed with her philosophy of ensuring that student-athlete well-being remains the top priority at all times.”

The team will begin play at the club level and shift to NCAA Division III competition in the fall of 2024. They will be a member of the merged conference of the United East and Colonial States Athletic Conferences (CSAC). The roster will include 25 to 30 players.

Misslehorn played field hockey at Wake Forest University and totaled 21 goals and 17 assists during her tenure. The Demon Deacons alum helped the USA Indoor National Team secure gold at the 2010 Women’s National Indoor Championship.

Misslehorn started her college coaching career with James Madison University in 2002 where as an assistant she helped steer the team to an NCAA tournament berth and lead them to a season-high No. 4 national ranking.

At Temple, Misselhorn curated 114 wins over 10 seasons with 10 straight appearances in the postseason as head coach. Misselhorn coached three all-American players, five Atlantic 10 Players of the Year, and 16 regional all-Americans.

With Indiana, Misselhorn had unprecedented success, leading her 2015 team to the most Big Ten victories in one season in program history. The Hoosiers made the Big Ten Tournament in back-to-back years in 2015 and 2016.

Misselhorn coached just the second player in Indiana’s program history to receive National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-America First-Team honors.

“It’s been exciting to see college field hockey continue to grow across the nation and I am honored to be able to lead this inaugural team on campus, said Misselhorn. “Central Pennsylvania is a hotbed of field hockey and I know we will be able to recruit high-quality student-athletes to represent Penn State Harrisburg.”

Misselhorn is bringing a wealth of experience to Penn State Harrisburg as they embark on the creation of their first field hockey team.