Emily Dinsmore, the head coach of Appalachian State’s field hockey program, has agreed to a contract extension that will keep her at the helm through the 2028 season. The agreement was ratified by Chancellor Heather Norris and the university’s Board of Trustees, underscoring the administration’s confidence in her leadership.
Under Dinsmore’s guidance, the Mountaineers have climbed to a No. 17 spot in the 2025 national rankings, captured back‑to‑back regular‑season MAC titles, and secured a postseason victory over Ohio in the 2025 MAC Field Hockey Championship. The 2024 campaign marked the program’s first-ever MAC regular‑season championship, a milestone that earned Dinsmore the MAC Coach of the Year honor.
The team’s success is not limited to the field. The squad posted a 3.61 cumulative GPA, with twelve players earning Academic All‑MAC honors and fourteen receiving NFHCA academic accolades, reflecting a culture that values excellence in the classroom as much as on the turf.
A New Era for Mountaineer Hockey
The extension also brings stability to the program’s future, allowing Dinsmore to continue developing talent such as Lise Boekaar and Sophia Baxter, who were named to the All‑MAC first team and garnered NFHCA All‑Region recognition. Their achievements, alongside those of teammates like Hadley Kuzmicky, illustrate the depth and promise of the roster as the Mountaineers look ahead to the next chapter.