Essington, Pa. — Penn State field hockey head coach Charlene Morett has been selected for induction into the Delaware County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame for her incredible contributions to the sport of field hockey as both an accomplished coach and player during her career.
She is joining an illustrious group of 339 athletes who have been inducted into the Delaware Country Chapter of the Hall of Fame, 46 of which have earned a spot in the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held on June 26 at the Ramada Inn in Essington, Pa. where Morett will be honored alongside 13 other local sports figures.
Since taking over the Penn State program in 1987, Morett has led the Nittany Lions to new heights while sustaining unparalleled success. During her tenure, she has guided PSU to the NCAA Tournament in 21 of her 24 seasons, including an incredible run to the national championship game in 2002 and 2007.
During her tenure, she has helped Penn State capture five Big Ten Championships, four Big Ten tournament titles, and two Atlantic 10 crowns. Five of those squads eventually advanced to the NCAA semifinals.
Overall, Morett ranks fourth all-time in Division I history with 410 wins and has garnered Mideast Region Coach of the Year honors seven times. Last season, she earned the accolade again after guiding the 2010 squad to a 14-6 record, top-10 national ranking, and berth in the NCAA Tournament.
A member of the USFHA and NFHCA Hall of Fame, she has been honored as the conference Coach of the Year five times during her career. After earning the Atlantic 10 honor in 1989, she has been named the Big Ten’s top coach four times, most recently in 2008.
An incredible teacher, she has helped her players earn national recognition on a yearly basis. During her tenure, 10 players have been named two-time first-team All-Americans and five have been honored as the Big Ten Athlete of the Year. Since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1992, Morett’s program has produced more first-team all-conference selections than any other school in the league.
Prior to coaching, Morett was an outstanding player and the only three-time first-team All-American in Penn State history. The first Nittany Lion to score five goals in one game, she netted 50 during her four-year stint in Happy Valley before continuing her career at the national level.
Named the USFHA’s Co-Athlete of the Year in 1982, Morett was a two-time Olympian and competed in more than 100 international matches. She helped guide the U.S. team to a bronze medal during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
An accomplished lacrosse player as well, she earned All-American honors during her time in Happy Valley and was one of the nation’s top scorers. She later served on the U.S. lacrosse team and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1979 USWLA National Championship.
A 1979 graduate of Penn State, Morett was as an assistant at Old Dominion for four seasons before taking over as the head coach of the Boston College program in 1984. After that, she took the reins of her alma mater in 1987, and since then, she has led the program to a winning record in 22 of her 24 seasons.
