Hopson Returns to UD After Stint with CAA Rival
from press release
NEWARK, Del. -- University of Delaware
women’s lacrosse head coach Kateri Linville has made her
first hire a familiar one, not only to her, but to Blue Hen fans as
well.
Kristin Hopson, who played collegiately under Linville at Notre
Dame and served as an assistant coach for the Blue Hens during the
2008 and 2009 seasons under Kim Ciarrocca, was named
Delaware’s assistant coach Tuesday.
“It is an honor to be able to bring back one of
Delaware’s best,” said Linville, a 2003 Delaware
graduate who was selected as UD head coach last
month after serving the previous five seasons as an assistant at
Notre Dame. “Kristin values academic and athletic excellence
and will demand it from our student-athletes. She is an outstanding
role model and a proven leader. She played a key role in leading
Notre Dame (as a player), Delaware and James Madison (as a coach)
to season best marks. As a UD alumni, she shares in my vision for
greatness and is committed to elevating the Fightin’ Blue Hen
lacrosse program to national prominence.”
Hopson, a native of Rosemont, Pa., served as an assistant coach
this past season at Delaware rival James Madison University under
head coach Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe and helped lead the Dukes to a
school-record 17 wins (17-3), the Colonial Athletic Association
tournament title, a No. 8 final national ranking, and a berth in
the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. She worked most closely
with the James Madison defensive unit that finished second
nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 7.2 goals per
game.
“It is an honor to return to the University where I began my
coaching career,” said Hopson. “With such a strong
academic and athletic reputation, along with the vision for the
future, the University of Delaware is a desirable place to be.
Kateri has been a tremendous role model and mentor for me and I
look forward to working along side her. We share the same vision
for this program and I am eager to begin my journey and help put
Delaware in a position to win our first CAA
championship.”
During her two seasons as an assistant at Delaware in 2008-09,
Hopson helped lead the Blue Hens to combined record of 21-14 which
included an 11-6 mark in 2008 and a 10-8 showing in 2009. The Blue
Hens advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament both
seasons, including a
berth in the league championship game in 2009 which marked the
team’s first appearance in a conference title game since
1999. Under Hopson’s leadership, the
UD defensive unit garnered national recognition,
ranking third in the nation in scoring defense in 2009 (8.5 goals
per game).
Hopson was a three-time monogram winner at Notre Dame, starting
three seasons on defense for the Irish women's lacrosse team from
2005-2007. During her career, she played in 55 games, making 45
starts, including 35 starts in 36 games during her junior and
senior years.
A two-time Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse academic honor
roll selection, she graduated from Notre Dame with a 3.639
grade-point average and a degree in psychology and sociology. She
was selected as the winner of the women's lacrosse team's 2007
Rockne Scholar-Athlete
Award for her excellence in the classroom.
A three-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star, the defensive stalwart
recorded 60 ground balls, caused 21 turnovers and had nine draw
controls over her four seasons on the Irish back line. She was a
member of two NCAA tournament teams, including the 2006 Notre Dame
squad that advanced to
the NCAA Final Four.
She was a three-sport standout at Radnor (Pa.) High School and
earned 12 letters in field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. She
was a captain in all three sports and led the lacrosse team to
state titles in 2000, 2001, and 2003. She earned All-Central League
honors in all three sports, was named the Main Line Times Female
Athlete of the Year in 2003, and was a two-time All-American in
lacrosse.
