Colgate University’s Director of Athletics, Yariv Amir, announced Gareth Terrett as the next head coach for Women’s Field Hockey on April 13. After a multi-month search, Terrett was selected to bring his more than 20 years of elite coaching experience to Tyler’s Field.
Following a field hockey career highlighted by 25 wins for Wales, an appearance at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and multiple Premier League and National Cup titles, Terrett shifted to coaching full-time in 1999. After several years in the U.K. and on the West Coast of the U.S., Terrett came to New York in 2021, spending five years as an assistant coach at Cornell University. While there, Terrett helped land Cornell its first national ranking in program history.
Now, as Terrett prepares to lead the Raiders, he is ready to bring that same competitive grit to Hamilton.
“I feel that having seen and been in lots of different environments, I can bring and share that knowledge with the group,” Terrett said. “I played internationally, so having an understanding of the top level will hopefully be able to help bring Colgate up.”
This mission starts right away for Terrett, as the Raiders are in the midst of their spring scrimmage schedule with matches against Syracuse and Cornell. Terrett hopes to hit the ground running, and he’s excited to see how the team matches up against one of the top teams in the nation and his former squad.
“[Assistant coach Bridgette Street] has worked really hard with the group during the spring, and I think they’ve made great progress, so this will be a great chance to play and compete,” Terrett said.
The players are equally eager to get to work with their new coach. As excitement builds surrounding their spring scrimmages and upcoming fall season, first-year Augusta Santarelli spoke about the team’s feelings toward their new coach.
“Coach Gareth seems very determined to make us successful while having fun and bringing joy to the game,” Santarelli said. “The team is so excited and looking forward to this positive change. We are ready to work!”
With only a few Colgate practices under his belt, Coach Terrett is still just getting started, but he’s already made his message clear to his players.
Junior Morgan Willis commented on how Terrett’s experience will help push the program forward.
“He is extremely knowledgeable about the game in a variety of different ways, like strategy, skills and mindset,” Willis said. “He has already made noticeable improvements in practice structure and pays attention to details that matter. He is invested in both the team’s success and individual development, and is not afraid to push us in ways that feel very purposeful.”
It’s safe to say that the players are confident that Coach Terrett is here to make a positive impact. With his sights set on securing Patriot League wins next fall and consistently raising the standard for Colgate field hockey, Terrett has a winning attitude that the players are ready to match.
“We all feel motivated by his energy and expectations,” Willis said. “We feel like he genuinely cares about improving this program, and we are very optimistic about what next season will look like under his leadership.”
