Bucknell University Athletics
Photo by: Marc Hagemeier
Bucknell Head Field Hockey Coach Jeremy Cook Steps Down
1/25/2022 4:00:00 PM | Field Hockey
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Jeremy Cook, who guided the Bucknell field hockey team to a Patriot League championship and a run to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in the spring of 2021, has announced that he is stepping down as head coach after 14 seasons. Cook departs with 128 career victories, tied for the most in program history.
"I'd like to thank the leadership at Bucknell for the opportunity to be part of the education of so many amazing young people," said Cook. "I certainly hope that I have had as positive an impact on them as they have had on me. I am leaving as a better person, with a bigger family, and with gratitude in my heart for the incredible experiences and friendships over the last 14 years. I am a firm believer that a person is only as good as the company they keep, and I feel incredibly lucky to have been on a team with the assistant coaches, athletic trainers, administrators, professors, and most importantly, the student-athletes here at Bucknell. Together we have created quite a growth culture around the team that has been truly special."
"Jeremy Cook's 14-year tenure at Bucknell has been exemplary," said director of athletics and recreation Jermaine Truax. "Jeremy is a tremendous field hockey coach whose on-field record of success speaks for itself, but I am just as appreciative of the manner in which he embraced his role as a compassionate mentor to the hundreds of student-athletes who have worn the Orange & Blue under his leadership. Jeremy has forged a tremendous legacy here at Bucknell and in our local community, and on behalf of the entire Bison Athletics family, we wish him and his family all the best."
Cook's Bucknell teams were consistently competitive in a talent-rich conference. The Bison qualified for the four-team Patriot League Tournament in all 14 of his seasons and advanced to the championship game five times. His 2014 squad captured the league's regular-season title and hosted the postseason tournament for the first time. Cook was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year that season.
During the 2020-21 academic year, the field hockey season was shifted from the fall to the spring semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the uncertainty of that unusual season, Cook helped the Bison recover from an 0-3 start to not only qualify for another Patriot League Tournament, but to win it for the first time. Bucknell then went on to defeat VCU in overtime for its very first NCAA Tournament win.
Among the leaders of that spring 2021 squad was senior Kaelyn Long, who became the second NFCHA All-American in program history. Cook also coached 14 All-Region selections, 60 All-Patriot League honorees, 35 Academic All-Patriot League selections, and three Patriot League Scholar-Athletes of the Year.
Cook tied the program's all-time wins mark on Oct. 22, 2021, joining longtime head coach Heather Lewis with 128 victories over his storied career. That milestone win over Colgate was part of a 4-2 Patriot League record this past fall. The Bison will return five of their top seven scorers next season, including First Team All-Patriot League selection Lily Neilson, who scored a league-high 15 goals in 18 games as a rookie in 2021.
"As the old favorite proverb says, 'It's not the quarry but the chase, not the laurel but the race,'" said Cook. "I wish the Bison field hockey program much success in the future; the best is yet to come!"
Bucknell will now launch a national search to identify its next head field hockey coach.
"I'd like to thank the leadership at Bucknell for the opportunity to be part of the education of so many amazing young people," said Cook. "I certainly hope that I have had as positive an impact on them as they have had on me. I am leaving as a better person, with a bigger family, and with gratitude in my heart for the incredible experiences and friendships over the last 14 years. I am a firm believer that a person is only as good as the company they keep, and I feel incredibly lucky to have been on a team with the assistant coaches, athletic trainers, administrators, professors, and most importantly, the student-athletes here at Bucknell. Together we have created quite a growth culture around the team that has been truly special."
"Jeremy Cook's 14-year tenure at Bucknell has been exemplary," said director of athletics and recreation Jermaine Truax. "Jeremy is a tremendous field hockey coach whose on-field record of success speaks for itself, but I am just as appreciative of the manner in which he embraced his role as a compassionate mentor to the hundreds of student-athletes who have worn the Orange & Blue under his leadership. Jeremy has forged a tremendous legacy here at Bucknell and in our local community, and on behalf of the entire Bison Athletics family, we wish him and his family all the best."
Cook's Bucknell teams were consistently competitive in a talent-rich conference. The Bison qualified for the four-team Patriot League Tournament in all 14 of his seasons and advanced to the championship game five times. His 2014 squad captured the league's regular-season title and hosted the postseason tournament for the first time. Cook was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year that season.
During the 2020-21 academic year, the field hockey season was shifted from the fall to the spring semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the uncertainty of that unusual season, Cook helped the Bison recover from an 0-3 start to not only qualify for another Patriot League Tournament, but to win it for the first time. Bucknell then went on to defeat VCU in overtime for its very first NCAA Tournament win.
Among the leaders of that spring 2021 squad was senior Kaelyn Long, who became the second NFCHA All-American in program history. Cook also coached 14 All-Region selections, 60 All-Patriot League honorees, 35 Academic All-Patriot League selections, and three Patriot League Scholar-Athletes of the Year.
Cook tied the program's all-time wins mark on Oct. 22, 2021, joining longtime head coach Heather Lewis with 128 victories over his storied career. That milestone win over Colgate was part of a 4-2 Patriot League record this past fall. The Bison will return five of their top seven scorers next season, including First Team All-Patriot League selection Lily Neilson, who scored a league-high 15 goals in 18 games as a rookie in 2021.
"As the old favorite proverb says, 'It's not the quarry but the chase, not the laurel but the race,'" said Cook. "I wish the Bison field hockey program much success in the future; the best is yet to come!"
Bucknell will now launch a national search to identify its next head field hockey coach.
Players Mentioned
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