Gary Agard enters his 11th season as the head coach of the IUP field hockey team in the fall of 2021. In 10 seasons with the Crimson Hawks, Agard is second in program history in victories with an 83-97 overall record.
In his time at IUP, Agard has three 10-win seasons, four PSAC tournament appearances, and an NCAA tournament appearance in 2012. The three straight conference postseason berths between 2011-13 is the longest streak in program history. He's seen 29 players earn All-PSAC honors since 2010, including three-time first team selection Anouk Sickman (2010-12). He's also helped four players earn All-American honors.
His finest year came in 2012 as IUP went 14-6 overall, 8-2 in the conference, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships for the seventh time in program history. The wins are tied for the fifth most in a single season at IUP, which finished that year ranked fifth in the Division II poll.
Agard helped guide the Crimson Hawks to a bounce-back year in 2019, going 9-9 - a 6-win improvement - and just missing out on a PSAC tournament appearance. IUP opened the year with four straight wins toi enter the Division II national rankings for the first time since 2016. The Crimson Hawks tallied five shutout wins, including three consecutive early in the season.
Agard posted his third 10-win season in 2016, leading the Crimson Hawks to the PSAC quarterfinals. Key wins that year came over third-ranked Bloomsburg and 10th-ranked West Chester as IUP had a 7-1 home record, it's best mark at Miller Stadium since going 9-0 in 2012.
The Crimson Hawks were ranked 10th in the final 2016 regular season national poll. It was the first time since August 2014 that IUP appeared in the 10-team national poll. Senior Haley Fidler, sophomore Emma Smiley and sophomore Selena West earned All-PSAC honors.
IUP was also honored a National Academic Team Award by The Zag Field House/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA).
Agard led the Crimson Hawks to the PSAC tournament from 2011 through 2013. He coached four All-Americans during this span, Shannon Sullivan (2011), Nicole Bruce (2012), Anouk Sickman (2011 and 2012), and Kate Bruce (2013).
Agard’s best season was 2012, as the Crimson Hawks finished 14-6, with a 9-0 record at home and an appearance in quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. This was IUP's first NCAA tournament appearance since 2008. IUP finished the season ranked 5th in the final Division II National Poll. Agard coached two All-Americans in 2012. Anouk Sickman made the first team and Nicole Bruce made the second team by several media outlets. He also coached three All-PSAC first team players; Sickman, Bruce and Brielle Mackey, as well as one All-PSAC second team player, Erin Shirk.
Prior to IUP, Agard spent eight seasons as an assistant coach for perennial national power Bloomsburg. While with the Huskies he was responsible for recruiting players at local, regional and national events and designed drills to enhance individual skills.
He also assisted with practice planning and game strategy and scheduling and was the assistant director of the Bloomsburg summer field hockey camps which generated an annual income of $120,000 to support the university's highly successful program.
Agard was also a member of the coaching staff at the University of North Carolina and Penn State field hockey camps.
Agard earned his bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College in 1996 and his master's from Bloomsburg in 2006.
Updated November 6, 2020
