Former Michigan State assistant coach named CMU head field hockey coach
Athletic Director Dave Heeke announces the new field hockey head coach, Molly Pelowski, Tuesday Feb. 3, 2015. Pelowski was the assistant coach at Michigan State University for seven years and now she replaces long time CMU field hockey coach Cristy Freese.
Central Michigan University Athletics introduced Molly Pelowski as the school’s new field hockey head coach on Tuesday, replacing 29-year head coach Cristy Freese.
Freese took a new role as the Senior Associate Athletic Director on Jan. 5.
“We were faced with a big challenge when Cristy Freese made the move to administration,” Athletics Director Dave Heeke said. “We embarked on a really aggressive, wide-ranging search for the next head coach. It really became quickly apparent that Molly was at the center of our search.”
Pelowski was an assistant coach at Michigan State University for seven seasons and was a graduate assistant under Freese from 2006-2008.
“Cristy will be right down the hall, so if I’m in need of some wisdom, I don’t have to go far,” Pelowski said. “After I accepted the position, she is someone that I leaned on for wisdom and obviously will continue to lean on through the transition.”
Freese was not on the hiring committee that selected Pelowski. Executive Associate Director of Athletics Marcy Weston led the committee. Weston was CMU’s field hockey head coach in the program’s inaugural season in 1973.
Pelowski said her vision for the program is similar to the one Freese had.
“She is an absolute magician, master at getting a group of people to complete the mission,” Pelowski said. “That’s my model for leadership: You complete the mission and you take care of your people.”
Heeke said the team is already in a position to be successful following a regular season Mid-American Conference Championship in 2014.
The Chippewas were 7-12 overall, and finished 5-1 in the MAC before losing in the MAC Tournament semi-final to Ohio.
CMU has won the field hockey MAC Tournament twice, in 1990 and 2005.
“I was sharing with the team this morning that my favorite thing to coach tactically is the press,” Pelowski said. “I think the team’s that play excellent, relentless defense are the teams that end up winning in the end.”
Seven of the 17 players on the roster will be seniors next fall. The group includes All-MAC Second Team Goalkeeper Sadie Lynn Reynolds.
Pelowski was a goalkeeper at the University of Michigan, where she led the Wolverines to four Big Ten regular season championships in 2000 and from 2002-2004. Pelowski specialized in working with goalkeepers at MSU.
“We’re going to be a tough opponent,” Pelowski said. “We’re going to create a culture of competitiveness where teams are going to fear playing Central Michigan University.”
Pelowski’s road to Mount Pleasant:
2000-2004: Goalkeeper at University of Michigan
2005: Graduate Assistant at Kent State University
2006-2008: Graduate Assistant at Central Michigan University
2008-2014: Assistant Coach at Michigan State University
