Feb. 7, 2006

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke field hockey head coach Beth Bozman recently announced the addition of Maria Whitehead to the Blue Devil coaching staff for the 2006-07 season. Prior to joining Duke, Whitehead spent three years as the head coach at St. Louis University following a four-year playing career on the Wake Forest field hockey team.

"We are all excited that Maria has joined our program," said Bozman. "She brings so much to this team -- her head coaching experience; her experience on the U.S. National Team; her history in the ACC, where she was a member of an NCAA championship team; and most of all, her incredibly positive winning attitude. She is a great addition."

A 2003 graduate of Wake Forest, Whitehead took her position at St. Louis in the summer of that year. In her second season with the Billikens, she guided her team to three consecutive wins for the first time since the 1996 season, and in 2005, SLU finished with its highest win total (eight) since 1991.

As a player at Wake Forest, Whitehead was twice named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team (2001, `02) and was also a three-time selection to the All-South Region squad (2000, `01, `02). Starting all but 10 games in her four-year career, Whitehead tallied 66 points (14 goals, 40 assists), helping guide the Deacons to three final fours and the program's first national championship in 2002. Her 40 assists appear fourth on Wake Forest's all-time chart.

Outside of field hockey, Whitehead was involved with the Athletes Care Team from 1999-2003, helping disabled toddlers, and was a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Council at Wake Forest. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications in 2003.

During the past two summers, Whitehead has directed the STX and Wisconsin Field Hockey Camps, and she has gained experience coaching at summer camps for the last seven years, providing assistance at Duke in 2005, William & Mary in 2003, Champion's Edge in 2003 and `04 and Wake Forest from 1999-2003. Whitehead has coached future Olympic athletes in the U.S. Field Hockey Association's developmental program FUTURES since 2002.

Whitehead's other experience includes several years as a member of the United States Junior Field Hockey Teams. Whitehead played in such prestigious tournaments aas the California Cup, Junior Pan American, Junior World Cup and JFK Tournament, and in the winter of 2004 participated on the U.S. Senior National Squad.

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