Head Coach Kerry DeVries
3/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
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Kent State head coach Kerry DeVries has molded the Kent State field hockey program into a perennial national power in eight seasons at the helm.
During her tenure the Golden Flashes have captured four MAC regular-season titles, four MAC tournament titles and advanced to five-consecutive NCAA tournaments from 1998-2002. In eight seasons, DeVries has recorded a stellar 64-16 (.800) mark in MAC play and a 118-56 (.678) record overall.
Last year DeVries led the Golden Flashes to their fourth Mid-American Conference regular-season championship in six years and the seventh overall and fell one win shy of advancing to the NCAA tournament. The Flashes tied Louisville with an 8-2 MAC record and finished 11-8 overall. The championship season had its share of thrills, including near upsets of No. 1 Michigan State and No. 5 Wake Forest on consecutive days.
Nonetheless, the 2004 season was a banner year for the Flashes as sophomore Berber Rischen received MAC Co-Player of the Year honors, the fourth Golden Flash to receive the award under DeVries, while freshman Kate McGowan was the recipient of the MAC Freshman of the Year award.
In 2003, De Vries became the winningest coach in the history of Kent State field hockey with a 3-2 win vs. Towson Sept. 7. DeVries then hit another coaching milestone with her next win when she recorded her 100th career victory with a 4-0 win at Ohio Sept. 26. Despite missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years, Kent State turned in an 8-2 Mid-American Conference record to capture its sixth MAC regular-season title and third in the past five years, earning De Vries 2003 MAC Coach of the Year honors.
Kent State ended the 2002 campaign ranked seventh in the NFHCA poll and made its fifth straight NCAA tournament appearance. De Vries has made the Golden Flashes a national power that includes four MAC tournament championships and eight all-America honorees.
Kent State won its fourth MAC tournament crown in five years in 2002 with a 1-0 win over Ohio University in the final. The Golden Flashes then advanced to the NCAA tournament for the fifth time, falling in the first round to Penn State University, 3-2. De Vries coached a second team all-American in Helen Jerdan and six all-MAC selections.
In 2001 De Vries coached two All-Americans, Arlette van Cleeff (first team) and Jerdan (third team). KSU also had two first-team and three second-team All-MAC honorees. Her team had another successful season at 13-8 overall and 8-2 in the MAC. While the Golden Flashes did not win the MAC Tournament, they received the conferences first-ever at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to Michigan State University 3-1 in the first round. Kent State ended the season 11th in the NFHCA and ninth in the NCAA poll.
The 2000 season marked the second time De Vries earned MAC Coach of the Year honors in guiding her team to an amazing 18-game winning steak, a perfect 10-0 MAC record and a 19-4 overall record. Her team had two second-team All-Americans in Els Brouwer and van Cleeff, the MAC Player of the Year in Meagan Class, the MAC Freshman of the Year (Brouwer) and six first or second-team all-MAC selections. Once again, she took her team into the NCAA Tournament, losing in the first round to national runner-up University of North Carolina 5-3.
In 1999 De Vries earned her maiden MAC Coach of the Year honor as the Golden Flashes were co-champions during the regular season before garnering their second straight MAC Tournament title and NCAA Tournament berth. De Vries coached two All-Americans in 1999, freshman Inge Corten (second team) and senior Maggie Downey (third team), and had five players named to the all-MAC first or second teams.
The 1998 season marked De Vries first MAC Tournament championship and the schools first ever visit to the NCAA Tournament, where the Flashes lost in the first round to the University of Virginia. De Vries was named the 1998 Dita/National Field Hockey Coaches Association West Region Coach of the Year, one of six NCAA Division I coaches to receive regional honors. She also saw Downey be selected to the 1998 AstroTurf/NFHCA Division I All-America Team, and mentored three Golden Flashes to all-MAC honors.
Upon being hired Jan. 27, 1997, De Vries immediately illustrated her drive to improve a program, which was last in the conference in 1996. She brought in one of the largest and most honored recruiting classes in Kent State history and led the team to a 14-8 season, a second-place finish in the MAC and an appearance in the MAC Tournament final.
Prior to joining Kent State, De Vries was the assistant coach at Wake Forest University for three seasons under head coach Jennifer Averill. During that time, Wake Forest posted a 30-32 record competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference, which is generally regarded as the nations strongest field hockey league. The 1994 team, which posted a 12-8 overall record, finished the year ranked 20th in the nation, while the 11-7 team of 1995 was ranked 14th at seasons end.
De Vries has been involved with Olympic development programs, participating and coaching at A Camp. She has been a regional coaching director for the Futures Program for three years in North Carolina and Virginia and was a site director at Kent State for three years. DeVries also has coached at three NCAA Youth Education Through Sports (YES) clinics.
De Vries has coached at numerous other camps and clinics, including serving as co-director of the Wake Forest Field Hockey Camp from 1993-1996. In addition, De Vries is a voting member on the STX/NFHCA National Poll and serves on the NCAA All-America Committee.
As a field hockey player at the University of Iowa, De Vries received regional all-America honors in 1990 and 1992. She set a school single-season record for assists in 1990. While she was at Iowa, the Hawkeyes advanced to the NCAA national semifinals each of her first three years, finishing as the national runner-up in 1988.
Iowa posted a combined record of 75-12-3 during her four years, including a 32-3-1 Big Ten mark and four-consecutive Big Ten titles. The Hawkeyes were undefeated on their home turf all four years.
A native of Haverhill, Mass., De Vries earned a bachelors degree in English from Iowa in 1992. She and her husband, Raimo, daughter Charlotte and son Jack live in Stow.
Season Overall MAC1997 14-8 8-2/2nd1998#$ 18-5 8-2/2nd1999*#$ 17-6 8-2/T-1st2000*#$ 19-4 10-0/1st2001$ 13-8 8-2/2nd2002#$ 16-7 6-4/3rd2003* 10-10 8-2/1st2004* 11-8 8-2/T-1stTotals 118-56 64-16* MAC Regular-Season Champions, # MAC Tournament Champions, $ NCAA Tournament
