Wingate University head field hockey coach Kat Lind announced the hiring of Sarah Swift as the first assistant coach in program history in May of 2022. Swift joins the Bulldogs after spending the past year at State University of New York at New Paltz. Swift will be working specifically with the Wingate goalkeepers.
"I'm thrilled to have Sarah as our first-ever assistant coach," Lind says. "I know her experience as well as her personality will be an asset to the coaching staff. She's coming from an extremely strong program, and I know the culture and environment she has been in for the past few seasons is something that is going to help us lay a strong foundation in our first-ever season."
Swift played collegiately at SUNY New Paltz, helping the Hawks win the 2018 SUNYAC championship. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Digital Media Management in 2020, graduating Summa Cum Laude while also being named a Distinguished Senior for Student Affairs and an outstanding Graduate. Swift was the recipient of the Athletic Director Award.
As the assistant coach at SUNY New Paltz, Swift was a member of the NFHCA Region III Coaching Staff of the Year, helping the Hawks go 17-3 overall with a 9-0 record in league play, the first undefeated conference season in program history. SUNY New Paltz set a program record for wins, while advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Swift helped guide five all-conference selections including the SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year and the program's first-ever first team All-American.
Swift has been involved in several other positions since graduating. She was a Field Hockey coach and referee at Cross River Combo, coaching youth players ages seven-through 12. She was also a coach for Nexus, USA Field Hockey's Olympic Development Pathway Program in region four.
Swift worked as a COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Testing Program Coordinator at SUNY New Paltz. She was a social media coordinator at the Gentle Stork in North Carolina. Swift served as an Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant at Mount Olive, creating graphics, videos and press releases for the website and social media. She was also a Web Assistant at the SUNY New Paltz Office of Communications and Marketing and was an intern in their Athletic Communications office, serving as a Digital Media Intern.
Swift joins Lind on the coaching staff as the Bulldogs prepare for the inaugural Wingate Field Hockey season in the fall of 2022. Wingate's first-ever team, comprised of 24 players who have all signed with the Bulldogs, will arrive on campus in early August and will play the first game in program history in early September.
