GLENSIDE, Pa., - Arcadia University named Erin Livingston, of Philadelphia, as head coach of field hockey and women’s lacrosse. Livingston, who concluded her first season at the helm of Arcadia’s field hockey program, takes over as the first full-time head coach for both programs.
“Livingston brought a wealth of both playing and coaching experience at the Division II and III levels when she was named as the head coach for the Knights Field Hockey program in June of 2009,” says Arcadia Athletic Director Shirley Liddle in making the announcement. “She understands that recruiting will be the key for both programs. She is expecting a dozen new first year impact-players for the field hockey program alone. She has an investment in developing a winning mentality which will be essential in the very competitive Middle Atlantic and Commonwealth Conferences.”
In her first season as head coach for the Knights field hockey program, Livingston guided the team to five-wins, with five losses by one goal, while seven of her student-athletes garnered All Academic honors. The newly tabbed head coach recently concluded her first and only season at the helm of Holy Family University’s softball program. Livingston guided the Division II Tigers to a 24-23 overall record this season and 18-8 mark against league opponents, and captured the #4 seed for the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament. Two of her Holy Family student-athletes garnered All CACC recognition.
Prior to her hiring at Arcadia just a year ago, Livingston served as a graduate assistant for field hockey at Division III Kean University. She helped to guide the Cougars to a 36-18 overall mark, including a record-breaking 17-win season in 2008. That season was capped by winning the ECAC Mid-Atlantic DIII Field Hockey Championship with a 3-2 overtime victory over Catholic University. Livingston also filled two one-season assistant coaching positions for Kean’s softball (2009) and women’s lacrosse (2006) programs and was Philadelphia University’s assistant softball coach during the 2005 season.
As a student-athlete, Livingston was a member of the field hockey and softball teams at Kutztown University during 2001-05. A three-year starter on defense, Livingston holds the career record for defensive saves at Kutztown with 23. She also garnered several accolades, being named National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) First Team All-American in 2004 and Second Team All-American in 2003. Livingston excelled off the field as well, as she was named to the NFHCA All-Academic Squad in 2003 and in 2005 was named the Kutztown University Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Livingston, a three-sport student-athlete at Archbishop Carroll High School in Radnor, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education with a concentration in coaching and math from Kutztown University and a Master of Arts degree in special education from Kean.
“I’m truly excited to begin my first full-time head coaching position at the college level here at Arcadia,” says Livingston. “Through recruiting, it is my goal to build both programs to be a competitive mainstay in the (MAC’s) Commonwealth and Middle Atlantic Conferences. While it is also my goal to improve both our overall and conference wins, the academic success of my teams is of equal importance. I hope to instill a motivational atmosphere with both programs, through individual and team goal setting, in order to increase winning percentages and student-athlete satisfaction. My focus will be on the continuous improvement of all aspects of the student-athletes lives, individually, athletically and academically.”
Arcadia’s field hockey team competes in the MAC’s Commonwealth Conference against Albright, Alvernia, Elizabethtown, Lebanon Valley, Messiah, Shenandoah and Widener. The women’s lacrosse team competes in the MAC’s Middle Atlantic Conference against Alvernia, Eastern, Elizabethtown, Farleigh Dickinson – Florham, King’s, Lebanon Valley, Lycoming, Manhattanville, Messiah, Misericordia, Widener, and Wilkes.
About Arcadia University: Arcadia University is a top-ranked private university in metropolitan Philadelphia and a national leader in study abroad. Arcadia competes in the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation (MAC), with membership in the Commonwealth and Middle Atlantic Conferences. The 2008 Open Doors report ranks Arcadia University 1st in the nation in the percentage of undergraduate students studying abroad. U.S. News & World Report ranks Arcadia University among the top 25 master’s universities in the North, as one of the top study abroad programs in the nation, and a Great School at a Great Price. The Physical Therapy program is ranked 7th in the nation. Arcadia University promises a distinctively global, integrative and personal learning experience that prepares students to contribute and prosper in a diverse and dynamic world.