May 18, 2006
IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa Athletic Department has announced the hiring of former player and UI Hall of Famer Kristy Gleason as an assistant field hockey coach.
Gleason is widely considered the best field hockey athlete to wear the Black and Gold. She was a four-time first team all-American and the Honda-Broderick Award winner as the nation’s top player her senior year. She was also a two-time Big Ten MVP and two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. Gleason still holds Iowa records for career goals (132) and points (285).
In 2004, Gleason was elected to the National Iowa Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame.
“I am very excited for this opportunity at one of the top institutions in the country,” Gleason said. “When I returned to Iowa City for the Hall of Fame inductions in 2004, I was really able to recapture my feeling for the school and it has been on my mind ever since.
“I am really looking forward to working with Tracey (Griesbaum) and Lisa (Cellucci), too. Tracey coached me when I was here and was a teammate of mine on the national team, so I know firsthand she is going to be one of the best coaches there is to learn under.”
After graduating from Iowa with a B.S. in Health Promotion, Gleason continued her playing career with the U.S. National Team. She competed in the 1992 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the 1998 World Cup and won a bronze medal at the 1990 Pan American Games.
Gleason then left field hockey and was a member of the United States Duathlon Team (run, bike, run) from 1994-1996. She won a bronze medal at the 1995 World Championships.
From there she entered the world of professional golf, working as a golf professional at Tedesco Country Club in Marbelhead, MA, and Haverhill Country Club in Haverhill, MA. Since 2003 she has competed on the Futures Tour while trying to qualify for the LPGA Tour.
“I am thrilled to have Kristy join our coaching staff,” Griesbaum said. “I have been able to share in a player-coach (Iowa) and teammate (US National Team) relationship with Kristy and now I am looking forward to developing the working relationship that is necessary to elevate a program. She has a passion for field hockey and Iowa and I look forward to having her back. The alumni combination of Lisa Cellucci (’94 – ’98) and Kristy Gleason (’89 – ’93) is amazing. I am anxious to get our staff united over the summer and carry over our energy and work ethic into the 2006 season.”