Lil Fesperman Position: Head Coach Experience: 27th Season Record at Miami: 230-244-17 (26 seasons)

Lil Fesperman enters her 27th season as head coach of the field hockey program and hasn’t lost a step since her first season with the Red and White.

“Each year presents a new challenge in motivating the athletes,” remarks Fesperman. “It’s a thinking game and one which even the best players can still learn something new. I still get excited when I have a field hockey stick in my hands.”

Fesperman has guided Miami to a 230-244-17 record for a .487 winning mark. She has produced 16 regional all-Americans and 65 all-Mid-American Conference selections. With 230 career wins and 491 total games, Fesperman currently is ranked ninth nationall all-time in games coached. With nine more games Fesperman not only topples the 500-game plateau, but also moves into fifth all-time in games coached.

Fesperman led Miami to the first MAC championship in 1981 and was selected MAC Coach of the Year. She has guided the team to the postseason tournament every season but one. In 1994, Fesperman coached a young squad to a runner-up finish in the MAC, which led to three of her student-athletes earning all-MAC recognition and two earning all-America honors.

In 1980, she directed Miami to an Ohio state championship, a national ranking in the U.S. Field Hockey Association (USFHA) and a top-12 finish in the AIAW National Tournament.

“It is special to be associated with a school like Miami,” Fesperman says. “The student-athletes enter this program to develop as people, participate in a competitive program, learn what athletics are all about, and also get a quality education.”

“I'm proud of the accomplishments of our field hockey student-athletes: a 100 percent graduation rate of all four-year players, numerous all-MAC and academic all-MAC team members and regional all-America selections. I enjoy keeping in contact with our field hockey graduates through our field hockey newsletter and my travels.”

“Even entering the new millenium, Miami’s field hockey program is still growing. We finally are fully funded with scholarships and a full-time assistant coaching position, and I am no longer teaching classes.”

A 1974 cum laude graduate of Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., Fesperman holds a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education. A three-year member of the ASU field hockey team, she was selected captain and voted Most Valuable Player her senior year.

After graduation, Fesperman played for the Deep South Club team, officiated field hockey, and taught HPE and coached in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System from 1974-77.

Fesperman, who earned a master's degree in education from Miami in 1978, has spent her summers as a coach of the USA Field Hockey's Olympic Development program and as a summer camp instructor. She is also involved in the Futures Program. Fesperman has attended the USFHA-sponsored Super Coaches Clinics and has received her advanced coaching certification, her level I coaching certification and her American Coaching Effectiveness Program (ACEP) level I instructor’s certificate.

“Even after 25 years, I’m still not tired of coaching because of my love for the sport and the relationships I build with my student-athletes" Lil Fesperman

She has served on the Midwest Regional and all-America poll committees. Fesperman is also a long-time member of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) and the USFHA. She serves the school and the community as a self-defense instructor from time to time.

Fesperman has run several marathons, enjoys distance cycling and kayaking. She also volunteers for Vitas Hospice with her dog, Winnie, for pet therapy.

“Even after 25 years, I’m still not tired of coaching bsecause of my love for the sport and the relationships I build with my student-athletes,” says coach Fesperman. “Every season presents new challenges, just with different goals and student-athletes.”

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