The National Field Hockey Coaches Association selected UNC head coach Karen Shelton and her staff as its Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year on Tuesday — representing the third straight year the Tar Heels have won the honor.

Shelton shares the award with associate head coach Grant Fulton, assistant coach Robbert Schenk and performance analyst Chris Fry.

The Tar Heels are coming off their third consecutive NCAA championship after defeating Michigan in overtime of the championship game — finishing the year with a 19-1 record.

UNC also won the ACC championship this season and was ranked No. 1 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll during each week of the season.

Back on November 6, 2020, Shelton became the winningest coach in NCAA Field Hockey history with her 701st career victory. Under her leadership, the Tar Heels have won nine national championships, 24 ACC titles, 39 winning seasons and reached the Final Four in 13 of the last 14 seasons.

In addition, the new on-campus field hockey stadium at UNC was named in her honor.

This marks the fifth time overall that Shelton and her staff have claimed the NFHCA Division I Coaching Staff of the Year award.

 

 

Photo via UNC Athletics

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