University of Massachusets Athletics
A Head Coach for All Seasons
July 10, 2001 | Field Hockey
by Nick Joos
The Maroon & White
Imagine Steve Lappas being hired to coach both the UMass basketball and baseball teams or Don Cahoon directing the ice hockey and field hockey programs. It's pretty tough to picture, especially in today's era of specialization by coaches and student-athletes alike.
But in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it wasn't out of the ordinary for female coaches to serve as head coach of more than one team. Just ask one of UMass' coaching legends, Pam Hixon, who directed both the field hockey and lacrosse programs to unprecedented success during her time in Amherst. A member of the 2001 UMass Athletic Hall of Fame class, Hixon is the school's first female head coach to be so honored, and just the ninth coach among the hall's 54 members overall. She was selected to the hall in her first year of eligibility.
"I'm very honored to be selected to the Hall of Fame," said Hixon. "To be the first (female) coach makes it that much sweeter, because there are so many other individuals who could have been selected, too. It's an honor that they (the selection committee) think highly of you and the job that you did."
A native of Framingham, Mass., Hixon's father, Dana, was an outstanding ice hockey player at Boston University, in the late 1940s, and later would go on to play semipro ice hockey and do some coaching. While women's athletics were in its infant stages as Pam grew up, Dana encouraged her to play sports. One of her early loves was ice hockey, however, with no women's ice hockey program available, she focused her attention on field hockey, basketball and softball.
After high school, Hixon went on to earn eight varsity letters in field hockey, basketball and softball at Springfield College. Upon graduation in 1973, she worked as a physical education teacher and coach at Newton (Mass.) High School from 1973 through 1976. From there, she returned to Springfield College, received her master's degree from the school in 1977 and also coached field hockey, basketball and lacrosse.
Hixon, who as a player competed on the U.S. National Team for 10 years (1969-79), served as head coach of the UMass field hockey program from 1978 through 1993. After a two-year absence to lead the U.S. National Team, she came back to coach the 1996 Minutewoman field hockey team before returning to the National program. She also coached women's lacrosse at UMass from 1979 until 1987. Hixon never had a losing season coaching either UMass squad, and 25 of her 26 teams (all 17 field hockey, eight of nine lacrosse teams) advanced to postseason play.
"You had to have experience coaching both sports to get the job," Hixon recalled. "It was very common back then to have women coaching a couple of sports. Elaine (Sortino, who started her career coaching both volleyball and softball and will one day join Hixon in the Hall of Fame) and I shared an office that had just one telephone, but we coached four sports between us. A set-up like that would be unheard of today.
"We worked hard at what we did. You were always on the go, focusing on the sport that was in season, but at the same time, putting in some time with the sport that was in its off-season, too. From 6 a.m. on, it was non-stop."
Despite the pressures and demands of coaching two sports, Hixon's programs enjoyed tremendous success. The fifth-winningest coach in collegiate field hockey history, she led Massachusetts to postseason play every year. Hixon took UMass to 14 NCAA Tournaments, one AIAW Tournament and a pair of EAIAW Tournaments. Her teams made four NCAA Final Four appearances, finishing a school-best second in 1981, and never had a losing season.
"We had some very good athletes and students who worked hard and wanted to be successful," Hixon said. "They competed hard all of the time, and wanted to be good. That attitude made it easier, and after we had some success, the program just kept getting better and better.
"In addition, the University and the administration was very good to us," she added. "They wanted us to be successful."
The winningest coach in New England collegiate field hockey history, she owns an all-time UMass record of 272-75-18 (.768) and led UMass to four Atlantic 10 Conference titles. At the time she left UMass the first time, Hixon was ranked as the nation's winningest field hockey coach. The 1981 collegiate coach of the year and six-time Atlantic 10 coach of the year, her 1992 Minutewoman team finished the season with a school-record 21 victories and a No. 3 national ranking.
"I have great memories of every team, but I believe that each team created its own destination," Hixon said. "Every year it was our goal to get in the NCAA Tournament and make a run at the (NCAA) title."
During her UMass run, she coached five Olympians, one national player of the year (Judy Strong), a Broderick Award winner (Megan Donnelly), five Broderick Award nominees, 29 of the school's 34 All-Americans, 17 first team all-conference picks and four coaches academic All-Americans.
"I believe that it is only fitting that Pam is the first female coach to be inducted into the UMass Athletic Hall of Fame," Hixon pupil and current Minutewoman field hockey skipper Patty Shea said. "Neither numbers nor winning percentage can measure the countless lives that Pam has mentored and touched during her tenure with the UMass programs.
"This can only be measured by the spirit, enthusiasm and excellence that still live within the programs today. Her constant drive and desire for the success of UMass athletics has served as the foundation for continued excellence."
After 16 seasons at UMass, Hixon was selected as the U.S. National Team coach, a four-year gig in which she led America to its highest world finish ever in the sport. Under her direction, the national team stunned the world by taking the bronze medal at the 1994 World Cup in Ireland and a fifth-place finish in the 1996 Olympics staged in Atlanta. In many circles, Hixon is regarded as the most successful national coach in U.S. field hockey history.
"It was very different," Hixon said of coaching the national team. "It was like being a professional (sports) coach, because you ate and slept the sport. I enjoyed the challenge. It was the highest world ranking the U.S. ever had in the sport, so it was a tremendous honor to coach that team."
While she is most remembered for her field hockey coaching prowess, Hixon's lacrosse coaching resume was equally as impressive, as her team's posted a nine-year record of 91-30-2 (.748), never had a losing record and advanced to postseason play eight times. Her 1982 UMass team captured the NCAA championship, the school's first-ever NCAA crown, and finished a perfect 10-0 on the season. In 1987, Hixon was able to relinquish her lacrosse duties and was able to direct all of energies toward field hockey.
"I saw so much change during my tenure at UMass," Hixon said. "Not only did women's athletics evolve during that time, but my last seven years there was so much excitement on campus because of Coach [John] Calipari. We sort of road those coattails, but it was exciting to see our programs rise in national prominence. It was just an exciting time around here."
Hixon left the U.S. national program in 1998 and returned to Amherst, where today she runs her own business, White Mountain Sports Enterprises, Inc. An extensive summer camp program keeps Hixon in touch with today's youth, and WMS also provides educational consultations to prospective student-athletes and parents going through the recruiting process. She also keeps in touch with field hockey by helping "coach the coaches."
"There's a part of me that misses the games and practices," said Hixon. "But, I don't miss all of the other things that go with coaching today. I really miss the people at UMass, because we had some great times together. It is a special place." And, Pam Hixon was one special coach in the history of UMass athletics.
The Maroon & White
Imagine Steve Lappas being hired to coach both the UMass basketball and baseball teams or Don Cahoon directing the ice hockey and field hockey programs. It's pretty tough to picture, especially in today's era of specialization by coaches and student-athletes alike.
But in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it wasn't out of the ordinary for female coaches to serve as head coach of more than one team. Just ask one of UMass' coaching legends, Pam Hixon, who directed both the field hockey and lacrosse programs to unprecedented success during her time in Amherst. A member of the 2001 UMass Athletic Hall of Fame class, Hixon is the school's first female head coach to be so honored, and just the ninth coach among the hall's 54 members overall. She was selected to the hall in her first year of eligibility.
"I'm very honored to be selected to the Hall of Fame," said Hixon. "To be the first (female) coach makes it that much sweeter, because there are so many other individuals who could have been selected, too. It's an honor that they (the selection committee) think highly of you and the job that you did."
A native of Framingham, Mass., Hixon's father, Dana, was an outstanding ice hockey player at Boston University, in the late 1940s, and later would go on to play semipro ice hockey and do some coaching. While women's athletics were in its infant stages as Pam grew up, Dana encouraged her to play sports. One of her early loves was ice hockey, however, with no women's ice hockey program available, she focused her attention on field hockey, basketball and softball.
After high school, Hixon went on to earn eight varsity letters in field hockey, basketball and softball at Springfield College. Upon graduation in 1973, she worked as a physical education teacher and coach at Newton (Mass.) High School from 1973 through 1976. From there, she returned to Springfield College, received her master's degree from the school in 1977 and also coached field hockey, basketball and lacrosse.
Hixon, who as a player competed on the U.S. National Team for 10 years (1969-79), served as head coach of the UMass field hockey program from 1978 through 1993. After a two-year absence to lead the U.S. National Team, she came back to coach the 1996 Minutewoman field hockey team before returning to the National program. She also coached women's lacrosse at UMass from 1979 until 1987. Hixon never had a losing season coaching either UMass squad, and 25 of her 26 teams (all 17 field hockey, eight of nine lacrosse teams) advanced to postseason play.
"You had to have experience coaching both sports to get the job," Hixon recalled. "It was very common back then to have women coaching a couple of sports. Elaine (Sortino, who started her career coaching both volleyball and softball and will one day join Hixon in the Hall of Fame) and I shared an office that had just one telephone, but we coached four sports between us. A set-up like that would be unheard of today.
"We worked hard at what we did. You were always on the go, focusing on the sport that was in season, but at the same time, putting in some time with the sport that was in its off-season, too. From 6 a.m. on, it was non-stop."
Despite the pressures and demands of coaching two sports, Hixon's programs enjoyed tremendous success. The fifth-winningest coach in collegiate field hockey history, she led Massachusetts to postseason play every year. Hixon took UMass to 14 NCAA Tournaments, one AIAW Tournament and a pair of EAIAW Tournaments. Her teams made four NCAA Final Four appearances, finishing a school-best second in 1981, and never had a losing season.
"We had some very good athletes and students who worked hard and wanted to be successful," Hixon said. "They competed hard all of the time, and wanted to be good. That attitude made it easier, and after we had some success, the program just kept getting better and better.
"In addition, the University and the administration was very good to us," she added. "They wanted us to be successful."
The winningest coach in New England collegiate field hockey history, she owns an all-time UMass record of 272-75-18 (.768) and led UMass to four Atlantic 10 Conference titles. At the time she left UMass the first time, Hixon was ranked as the nation's winningest field hockey coach. The 1981 collegiate coach of the year and six-time Atlantic 10 coach of the year, her 1992 Minutewoman team finished the season with a school-record 21 victories and a No. 3 national ranking.
"I have great memories of every team, but I believe that each team created its own destination," Hixon said. "Every year it was our goal to get in the NCAA Tournament and make a run at the (NCAA) title."
During her UMass run, she coached five Olympians, one national player of the year (Judy Strong), a Broderick Award winner (Megan Donnelly), five Broderick Award nominees, 29 of the school's 34 All-Americans, 17 first team all-conference picks and four coaches academic All-Americans.
"I believe that it is only fitting that Pam is the first female coach to be inducted into the UMass Athletic Hall of Fame," Hixon pupil and current Minutewoman field hockey skipper Patty Shea said. "Neither numbers nor winning percentage can measure the countless lives that Pam has mentored and touched during her tenure with the UMass programs.
"This can only be measured by the spirit, enthusiasm and excellence that still live within the programs today. Her constant drive and desire for the success of UMass athletics has served as the foundation for continued excellence."
After 16 seasons at UMass, Hixon was selected as the U.S. National Team coach, a four-year gig in which she led America to its highest world finish ever in the sport. Under her direction, the national team stunned the world by taking the bronze medal at the 1994 World Cup in Ireland and a fifth-place finish in the 1996 Olympics staged in Atlanta. In many circles, Hixon is regarded as the most successful national coach in U.S. field hockey history.
"It was very different," Hixon said of coaching the national team. "It was like being a professional (sports) coach, because you ate and slept the sport. I enjoyed the challenge. It was the highest world ranking the U.S. ever had in the sport, so it was a tremendous honor to coach that team."
While she is most remembered for her field hockey coaching prowess, Hixon's lacrosse coaching resume was equally as impressive, as her team's posted a nine-year record of 91-30-2 (.748), never had a losing record and advanced to postseason play eight times. Her 1982 UMass team captured the NCAA championship, the school's first-ever NCAA crown, and finished a perfect 10-0 on the season. In 1987, Hixon was able to relinquish her lacrosse duties and was able to direct all of energies toward field hockey.
"I saw so much change during my tenure at UMass," Hixon said. "Not only did women's athletics evolve during that time, but my last seven years there was so much excitement on campus because of Coach [John] Calipari. We sort of road those coattails, but it was exciting to see our programs rise in national prominence. It was just an exciting time around here."
Hixon left the U.S. national program in 1998 and returned to Amherst, where today she runs her own business, White Mountain Sports Enterprises, Inc. An extensive summer camp program keeps Hixon in touch with today's youth, and WMS also provides educational consultations to prospective student-athletes and parents going through the recruiting process. She also keeps in touch with field hockey by helping "coach the coaches."
"There's a part of me that misses the games and practices," said Hixon. "But, I don't miss all of the other things that go with coaching today. I really miss the people at UMass, because we had some great times together. It is a special place." And, Pam Hixon was one special coach in the history of UMass athletics.
UMass Field Hockey vs. Harvard 10.26.25
Saturday, October 25
UMass Field Hockey vs. Bellarmine 10.24.25
Friday, October 24
Broadcast Highlights | UMass FH vs. Longwood | 10.10.25
Monday, October 13
Plant the Flag With Myrte van Herwijnen
Wednesday, October 08