Northeastern University Athletics | Field Hockey Coaches

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

The most successful head coach in the history of Northeastern field hockey, Cheryl Murtagh returns for her 22nd season at the helm of the Huskies. After finishing 7-13 in 2008, Murtagh’s team looks to rebound in 2009 and return to the CAA Tournament.

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 21 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 2009 with a 300-155-10 career record, giving her the most wins of any female coach in NU history.

In 2008, the Huskies had a rare losing record in their fourth year in the CAA, the conference that has produced five national champions since 1991. However, the Huskies have proven to be a force in the league, having advanced to the CAA Tournament championship game in their first season in the CAA back in 2005. Under Murtagh, Northeastern has recorded at least one postseason victory in 17 of the last 19 seasons.

Despite their win-loss record in 2008, Murtagh’s Huskies continued to be recognized by their peers for excellent play. Freshman Kaela Barker was named CAA Rookie of the Year and CAA All-Rookie. Freshman Carolyn Malloy was also named to the CAA All-Rookie squad. Sophomore Pam Aldridge was named first-team NFHCA All-Northeast Region and second-team All-CAA. Senior co-captain Jillian Wilkes was named second-team All-CAA and second-team NFHCA All-Northeast Region, and fellow senior co-captain Ashley Bascetta also earned second-team NFHCA All-Northeast Region honors.

The 2008 season also saw Murtagh reach an impressive career milestone. Northeastern’s Oct. 10 win over Delaware was Murtagh’s 300th as a head coach, making Murtagh one of only nine coaches to amass 300 victories at the Division I level.

Northeastern loses three seniors from 2008, but Murtagh has a knack for replacing team leaders. After 18 of her 21 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 11 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 America East in 2004, Murtagh led the Huskies to their 13th America East Tournament final and their 10th championship in the 14-year history of the tournament. Over that span, Northeastern 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 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. Northeastern 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 Northeastern’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.

In total, Murtagh has amassed 39 conference and NCAA Tournament victories, including impressive wins over Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Providence.
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 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, which led to a coveted offer from Northeastern: a full-time assistant coaching job.

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 2009 season, Murtagh has the second-longest tenure of any active Northeastern head coach, and she is the dean of current women’s coaches.
In addition to directing Northeastern, Murtagh has also 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 has been well honored for her efforts. She has been inducted into the Bishop Fenwick High School Hall of Fame, the University of New Hampshire Hall of Fame and the New England Women’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Murtagh grew up in Peabody with her parents and older brother, John. She currently resides in Rowley.



	HUSKIES HEADLINES SCHEDULES & RESULTS CALENDAR OF EVENTS RADIO & TV SCHEDULE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HUSKIES INSIDER NORTHEASTERN TWITTER CAA BLOOD CHALLENGE DIRECTIONS SPECIAL EVENTS TRAVEL RSS FEEDS HUSKY ATHLETICS FUND CORPORATE PARTNERS MERCHANDISE TICKET INFORMATION iPHONE APPLICATION NCENTIVES HALL OF FAME CHEERLEADING MISSION & GOALS HISTORY STAFF DIRECTORY FACILITIES CAMPS & CLINICS MEDIA GUIDES NCAA COMPLIANCE NCAA CERTIFICATION SPORTS INFORMATION SPORTS MEDICINE STRENGTH & CONDITIONING STUDENT ATHLETES FIRST SUPPORT SERVICES P.A.W.S. INITIATIVE NORTHEASTERN WEBSITE BOSTON CAMPUS RECREATION SPORT IN SOCIETY GoNU.com INDEX	Schedule Coaches Roster Stats Archives Cheryl Murtagh Head Coach First season at NU: 1988 Alma mater: New Hampshire ’81 The most successful head coach in the history of Northeastern field hockey, Cheryl Murtagh returns for her 22nd season at the helm of the Huskies. After finishing 7-13 in 2008, Murtagh’s team looks to rebound in 2009 and return to the CAA Tournament. 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 21 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 2009 with a 300-155-10 career record, giving her the most wins of any female coach in NU history. In 2008, the Huskies had a rare losing record in their fourth year in the CAA, the conference that has produced five national champions since 1991. However, the Huskies have proven to be a force in the league, having advanced to the CAA Tournament championship game in their first season in the CAA back in 2005. Under Murtagh, Northeastern has recorded at least one postseason victory in 17 of the last 19 seasons. Despite their win-loss record in 2008, Murtagh’s Huskies continued to be recognized by their peers for excellent play. Freshman Kaela Barker was named CAA Rookie of the Year and CAA All-Rookie. Freshman Carolyn Malloy was also named to the CAA All-Rookie squad. Sophomore Pam Aldridge was named first-team NFHCA All-Northeast Region and second-team All-CAA. Senior co-captain Jillian Wilkes was named second-team All-CAA and second-team NFHCA All-Northeast Region, and fellow senior co-captain Ashley Bascetta also earned second-team NFHCA All-Northeast Region honors. The 2008 season also saw Murtagh reach an impressive career milestone. Northeastern’s Oct. 10 win over Delaware was Murtagh’s 300th as a head coach, making Murtagh one of only nine coaches to amass 300 victories at the Division I level. Northeastern loses three seniors from 2008, but Murtagh has a knack for replacing team leaders. After 18 of her 21 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 11 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 America East in 2004, Murtagh led the Huskies to their 13th America East Tournament final and their 10th championship in the 14-year history of the tournament. Over that span, Northeastern 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 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. Northeastern 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 Northeastern’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. In total, Murtagh has amassed 39 conference and NCAA Tournament victories, including impressive wins over Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Providence. 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 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, which led to a coveted offer from Northeastern: a full-time assistant coaching job. 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 2009 season, Murtagh has the second-longest tenure of any active Northeastern head coach, and she is the dean of current women’s coaches. In addition to directing Northeastern, Murtagh has also 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 has been well honored for her efforts. She has been inducted into the Bishop Fenwick High School Hall of Fame, the University of New Hampshire Hall of Fame and the New England Women’s Sports Hall of Fame. Murtagh grew up in Peabody with her parents and older brother, John. She currently resides in Rowley.