Indiana University Athletics
Pietie Coetzee - Bringing Worlds of Experience to Indiana
9/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Sept. 25, 2006
With the 2006 World Cup just days away, one of the world's top field hockey players will not be in Madrid, Spain. Rather, she will be in Bloomington, Ind., helping the No. 14 Hoosiers in their quest for the program's second NCAA Tournament appearance. Newly appointed assistant coach Pietie Coetzee became a Hoosier after spending nine years with the South African National Team as one of the world's most feared attackers. Coetzee, who tallied 198 goals in 196 international contests, is ready to utilize her talents and experiences in coaching and is now dedicated to the continual development of IU field hockey.
Seventh-year head coach and 2005 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) West Region Coach of the Year Amy Robertson has known Coetzee since she caught her eye in 1995 playing in an international test series in Atlanta. Robertson immediately knew Coetzee would add something special to the IU program.
"I had friends that played on the South African national team that I met at a World Cup in Dublin, Ireland in 1994," Robertson said. "When they came to Atlanta a year later, they had this new kid on the team. I got to know her and told her about all of the field hockey opportunities in the United States. I kept calling and emailing her, trying to get her here, but she had other great opportunities in South Africa. After she got too old to play at the college level in the U.S., I started talking to her about coaching. I just couldn't let this talent get away."
Part of Robertson's wish to get Coetzee to Bloomington came true last summer. Coetzee, who was in the United States competing in the Champions Challenge in Virginia Beach, Va., agreed to work the IU field hockey camp following the tournament.
"When she worked the camp, I saw what a great coach she is," Robertson said. "I knew how incredible she is as a player, but she can also coach. I told her that week if I ever need an assistant, I will be calling her."
After an unforgettable season in 2005 in which the Hoosiers closed the season with an Elite Eight NCAA Tournament finish and a 17-5 overall record, an assistant coaching position opened on Robertson's staff. Coetzee was Robertson's obvious first choice.
"When the vacancy occurred last spring, she was the first person I called and the first person I wanted for the job," Robertson said. "At that time, she had a full-time job and was still playing for the South African National Team. To make a long story short, I kept looking to fill the position, but nothing seemed to be working out. At the last minute, I got this phone call from Pietie wondering if the assistant coaching job was still open."
Coetzee is glad Robertson's persistence paid off, as she is glad to call Bloomington her new home.
"I have known Amy for many years, and she had been trying to get me here for some time," Coetzee said. "Finally, it worked out. The timing was right in my life to make this move, and I am glad I am here."
Coetzee's broad experience is an invaluable addition to the Hoosier staff.
"Pietie is an amazing player who just has this edge," Robertson said. "She will score a goal where most people don't think there is even an opportunity. Combined with her unbelievable playing ability, she is a great person who has a love for this game. Having her here is a great opportunity for this program."
Junior first team All-Big Ten goalkeeper Haley Exner said that she and her teammates have already drawn on Coetzee's expertise.
"Sometimes when she is shooting on me, it hits me that I am going up against one, if not the best, strikers in the world," Exner said. "If she really wanted to, she could score on me and put the ball anywhere she wanted at any time. She has an unbelievable amount of talent."
Indeed, Coetzee provides an incredible perspective on all aspects of the sport.
"It is so good for me and my development as a goalkeeper to have this opportunity to work with her," Exner said. "Because she is a forward, she lets me know what the attacker is thinking or looking for so I can better defend them and stop the goal. Her international play especially is helping our forwards out so much. She sees so much on offense and defense. She's played a lot of hockey and competed in two Olympics, so she knows the game as well as anyone in the world right now. Knowing that she is here to help us is a great feeling. In only a short time, her impact has been felt at every position."
Robertson agrees that Coetzee's nine years of international competition is immediately paying dividends on both sides of the ball.
"In the last two weeks, her impact has most definitely been felt," Robertson said. "Her experience is at the forward position, but the biggest impact has been on our defense. She has brought some new ideas to us that we have used right away and have helped us tremendously."
Coetzee is enthusiastic about the new chapter in her field hockey career.
"In terms of potential, I see a lot in this team. They are eager to learn and have a love for the game," Coetzee said. "They want to learn, and they want to win. I hope to bring my experiences and different philosophies to this team so they can keep developing. This team has a lot of fun, but as a coach, I hope to continue to create a love for this game."
Just months after retiring from international field hockey competition, Coetzee's coaching philosophy is simple, and one that seems to be paying off.
"I coach the way I would have liked to have been coached as a player," Coetzee said. "I always try to think of what the player needs to hear and how it will help them the most at that moment."
