Diane Madl, the fifth-year head coach of the Providence College field hockey team , received two major coaching honors for directing the Friars to an 18-win season that included winning the regular season championship of the BIG EAST Conference this past fall.

Madl was named both the BIG EAST Coach of the Year and the 2006 Dita/NFHCA Division I Northeast Regional Coach of the Year. She is the first PC field hockey coach to earn BIG EAST Coach of the Year honors.

The 2006 season was marked by a 12-game improvement in the win column, as the Friars compiled an 18-4 overall record and a 5-1 mark in BIG EAST play. The 18 victories tied for the second most in the 32-year history of the program, while the five wins in BIG EAST play were a single-season record for PC.

Madl's Friars, who posted a 6-13 record the previous season, began the 2006 campaign with seven consecutive wins and soon squeezed their way into the national rankings. PC was ranked in the NFHCA Division I National Coaches' Poll for nine straight weeks. The Friars were ranked in the top 15 for seven consecutive weeks and finished the season ranked 11th nationally.

After winning the regular season title in the BIG EAST, the Friars advanced to the conference tournament's championship match before being edged by Connecticut, 4-3, and just missing out on a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Additional Recognition

At season's end, Madl was awarded a contract extension through the 2010 season by Robert G. Driscoll, Jr., associate vice president for athletics and athletic director.

"Diane has done a fantastic job rebuilding our field hockey program," said Driscoll. He added, "She is undoubtedly one of the top coaches in the country. Given her level of success as a head coach, she was a person of interest in several other searches at high profile institutions, and we couldn't be happier that Providence College is where she has chosen to make her home."