Hicksville Native Kotowicz Joins Yale Lacrosse Staff

Friday, 21 September 2012 15:39

Tanya Kotowicz, a former two-time UConn team captain who spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach at Hofstra, has joined the Yale women’s lacrosse staff as assistant coach. Anne Phillips, head coach of Yale women’s lacrosse, made the announcement.

“I was immediately impressed with Tanya’s passion for the game of lacrosse,” said Phillips. “She not only has the enthusiasm I was looking for, but the coaching experience our young players need. Tanya’s goal is to have each student-athlete reach her full potential, as a student and as a lacrosse player. I know our players will love working with TK and she will be a great mentor to them.”

Kotowicz, a native of Hicksville who attended Hicksville High School, brings the Bulldogs seven years of NCAA Division I coaching and international experience. Including camps and clinics, her efforts to spread the game have taken her to 13 different states along with Australia, England and Japan.  She has also worked to spread the game in developing areas throughout the United States, including Georgia, Hawaii and Washington.

Kotowicz spent four years as an assistant coach at Hofstra, where she helped the Pride earn a top 20 ranking. Hofstra made two CAA Tournament appearances during her time there, and she helped develop U.S. National Team members and All-Americans. The Pride also had the top GPA in the country twice in her tenure, and was an IWLCA Academic Squad all four years.

Kotowicz also spearheaded several community service initiatives at Hofstra, and the Hofstra program was an IWLCA Community Service Award nominee in 2010. She founded and directed the Nick Colleluori Women’s Lacrosse Classic, raising more than $140,000 for blood cancer research through the HEADstrong Foundation since starting the event in 2009. She has also done community service for the American Cancer Society, Surfer’s Healing (autism), Bristol Retirement Home, Read Across America, Friends of Jaclyn (pediatric brain tumors) and Ronald McDonald House.

Prior to joining the Hofstra staff, Kotowicz spent the 2008 season as head coach at Marist. She led the Red Foxes to their first MAAC championship in school history, earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament play-in game. She coached 14 MAAC All-Academic selections, 10 MAAC All-Tournament team selections and nine All-MAAC selections.

Kotowicz had also been an assistant at Marist in 2006; in between stops in Poughkeepsie, she was an assistant coach at St. Mary’s (CA) in 2007. During her tenure with the Gaels, St. Mary’s led the nation in ground balls and had eight players named to the Academic All-MPSF team.

A midfielder for UConn from 2000-05, Kotowicz redshirted the 2002 campaign due to injury. In 2005, she helped lead UConn to the ECAC championship, a program-best 12 wins and a final ranking of No. 15 in the nation. In 2004 she was the recipient of the Sam Witryol Award, presented to a UConn player who consistently makes a positive contribution to the team and understands the spirit of the game. Kotowicz played for former Yale assistant coach Bonnie Rosen, who was head coach of the Huskies at the time.

Kotowicz was a Big East Scholar-Athlete from 2002 to 2005 and a Big East Academic All-Star from 2000 to 2005. She received her B.A. in human development and family studies from UConn in 2004, minoring in psychology.  While coaching at Hofstra she received an M.S. in physical education in 2011.

Kotowicz’ international playing experience includes time as a member of the Wilderness Lacrosse Team in Adelaide, Australia, in 2003. She also served as a coach with the MAAC All-Star Team in Tokyo, Japan, during the summer of 2006. In January 2010 she was on the coaching staff of the USA Athletes International Lacrosse team that won the gold medal at the Southern Cross Lacrosse Challenge in Australia. She also served as a guest coach for the English National Team in January 2011.