Indiana University Athletics
Cook and Gerfen Join Field Hockey Coaching Staff
5/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
May 25, 2007
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Jeremy Cook and Katie Jo Gerfen have been named assistant coaches for the Indiana field hockey program, head coach Amy Robertson has announced. Cook joins the program after spending last season as an assistant at the University of Pennsylvania, while Gerfen brings a year of experience at Ohio University.
"I am absolutely thrilled with the hiring of Jeremy Cook and Katie Jo Gerfen," Robertson said. "I could not have found two better people to work with and who possess the knowledge, attitude and work ethic to help take this program to the next level. I think the combination of the three of us is a perfect fit in terms of compatibility and covering for each other's strengths and weaknesses."
Cook brings an array of playing and coaching experience to the IU program. Currently the technology director for the US Women's Field Hockey Team, Cook served as an assistant coach at Penn during the 2006 season. He was also the co-head coach for the New Jersey and Pennsylvania High Performance Squad at the Elite Performance Training Center during that time. Prior to his time at Penn, Cook spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Drexel University. Additionally, he served in that capacity at American University for one year and at Cornell for two years in addition to six-plus years with the US Futures program, working numerous camps across the country and coaching at the club level.
As a player, the 2002 Drexel graduate spent three years as a member of the USA Field Hockey National Team and five with the USA Indoor Field Hockey National Team. A Pan Am Games participant in 1999, Cook also played on three Indoor Pan American Cup teams and on the 2003 Indoor World Cup team. From 1995-97, Cook was a member of the men's first team with the Hockey Club Rotterdam in The Netherlands. He is also a gold medal recipient from three US Olympic Festivals.
"Jeremy brings an amazing level of energy and passion for field hockey and is a very astute student of the game," Robertson said. "He has a lot of experience as both a national team player and a college coach. The thing that drew me to Jeremy the most was his character and the person that he strives to be. We were very fortunate to be able to hire someone of Jeremy's caliber and experience level. He will be in charge of technology, our recruiting database, equipment, recruit coordination and he will play a very large role in on-field player development and assessment."
Gerfen, a 2005 graduate of the University of Virginia, joins the program after spending one season as an assistant coach at Ohio University. Her coaching experience also includes one year as an assistant coach with the US Field Hockey Association Futures Program in Richmond, Va., where she planned, coordinated and taught activities for high school student-athletes in preparation to play collegiate field hockey.
From 2001-06, Gerfen worked as a coach at college field hockey camps around the country. She also spent six years as an assistant coach with the Warwick Youth Field Hockey program in Lititz, Pa., where she planned and facilitated drills for athletes ages 5-14. A 2003 All-American while at Virginia, Gerfen served as team captain in 2003 and 2004 after being named all-ACC in 2001. Prior to her time at Virginia, Gerfen was a member of the U-16 USA Field Hockey Team as well as the U-19 team, and was a high school All-American from 1997-99 at Warwick High School. She was also a high school All-American honoree in softball in 1999.
"Katie Jo is an up-and-coming female coach who will bring a lot of passion, positive energy, experience and great character to the IU program," Robertson said. "She comes from a great high school and college program and has had some great mentoring in her coaching career. I like the perspective that she brings to the table. She is very inquisitive and wants to become the best that she can. She is a caring person who is able to connect on a positive level with the players she works with. I was looking for someone a little younger who would be more in touch with what is going on in young women's lives, and she fits that. She will be responsible for travel, on and off campus recruiting, compliance, academic monitoring and will work mostly with our defense."
The Indiana field hockey program will open the 2007 season on Aug.18 with a scrimmage at Ball State. The first official competition for the Hoosiers will come on Aug. 25 when they play Pacific University in Berkeley, Calif.
