The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee recognized UNC field hockey head coach Karen Shelton on Wednesday with its first ever USOPC College Coach of the Year award, after Shelton recently led her Tar Heels to their second straight undefeated season and NCAA Championship.

The award covers all sports and is presented to a coach at the NCAA level who has worked with their national governing body and made an impact on their sport.

“I’m honored to win the first College Coach of the Year Award from the USOPC,” Shelton said. “As a former Olympian and as a college coach, I feel it’s so important to work with our national governing body, USA Field Hockey. One reason student-athletes come to UNC because they know we’re going to prepare them well to go on and represent the U.S., and over the years we’ve done that.”

The head coach of UNC’s field hockey program since 1981, Shelton has a career record of 692-164-9 to go along with eight national titles and 24 Final Four appearances.

 

 

 

Photo via UNC Athletics

Related Stories
‹
UNC Avenges Only Loss on the Season With ACC Tourney Win
The Louisville Cardinals were the only team in the shortened season to trip up the UNC field hockey program. But on Sunday, with a conference title on the line, it looked like the Cardinals may best the Tar Heels again. Down 2-0 goals in the second quarter, head coach Karen Shelton’s UNC squad stormed back […]
Photo Gallery: UNC Field Hockey vs. Syracuse
Photo Gallery: UNC Field Hockey vs. Virginia
UNC Field Hockey In The NCAA Tournament In Less Than 60 Seconds
UNC field hockey defeated Stanford and Iowa in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament to advance to the program’s 11th consecutive Final Four. Here’s everything you need to see in fewer than 60 seconds:
Photo Gallery: UNC Field Hockey vs. Iowa (NCAA Tournament)
Photo Gallery: UNC Field Hockey vs. Duke
Tar Heel Field Hockey Hosts Liberty NCAA Tourney 1R
UNC's field hockey team, ranked number one in the nation, will host the No. 20 Liberty Flames in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday at Francis E. Henry Stadium.
UNC Field Hockey Beats Penn, No. 10 Princeton in Ivy League Weekend
Carolina beat both Penn and No. 10 Princeton as part of the ACC-Ivy League Conference Crossover in New Jersey during the weekend. In the first game against Penn Friday afternoon, five different Tar Heels accounted for six total goals in a dominant offensive display. UNC led 2-0 inside of eight minutes played, scored two goals […]
UNC Field Hockey Sweeps ACC-Big Ten Challenge to Open 2025 Season
No. 2 UNC beat both No. 7 Michigan and No. 15 Iowa to sweep the ACC-Big Ten Challenge in Iowa City, IA during Labor Day weekend. In the first game against the Wolverines Friday afternoon, goals from Ryleigh Heck and her sister Kara helped the Tar Heels to a 3-0 shutout victory. Ryleigh Heck, the […]
Chansky's Notebook: The Flying Dutch
Art Chansky breaks down the season outlook for the UNC field hockey team in Erin Matson's third year as head coach.
›