Release courtesy of Gettysburg Athletic Communications
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Taylor Dyer has been named Gettysburg College's next head field hockey coach, announced by Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation Mike Mattia on Friday.
Dyer takes over the Bullets' program after spending the last six seasons on the field hockey staff at Division I Lehigh. She becomes just the fifth head coach to lead the program since its inception in 1948.
"It was an extremely competitive pool of candidates, and I am beyond excited to have Taylor emerge from the group to be our next head field hockey coach," Mattia said. "She has had a lot of success as both a player and coach, and her enthusiasm, commitment, and competitive drive for field hockey is unwavering. She also clearly possesses the understanding of the holistic student-athlete experience and knows the important role coaches play in mentoring, supporting, and teaching student-athletes important personal development and life skills both on and off the field. I look forward to Taylor building upon the strong foundation of our field hockey program."
No stranger to the Centennial Conference, Dyer spent the 2014 season as an assistant coach at Dickinson before rejoining the staff of her alma mater Tufts University in 2015.
"I would like to thank Mike Mattia and all those involved with the search for allowing me the remarkable opportunity to lead the Gettysburg field hockey program," Dyer said. "After being on campus and seeing the passion and pride for the college that exists within the community, I knew that Gettysburg was a place I wanted to be. I can't wait to begin working with the team to build on the foundation that Coach Barb Jordan has established and see what we can accomplish within the Centennial Conference and beyond."
A standout player for the Jumbos, she was a three-time All-NESCAC first-team selection, three-time Longstreth/NFHCA all-region nod, and two-time All-American, including as a first-team nod in 2010 and third-team selection in 2011. She was also the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 and served as a captain during her senior year in 2011.
Dyer remained in Medford as a graduate assistant for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, which included the program's first national championship in 2012 and a 19-2 record.
She was reunited with her former mentor Caitlin Dallmeyer in 2016 when she joined the Lehigh staff as an assistant coach in 2016. Dyer coached with Dallmeyer at Dickinson in 2014.
In her six years at Lehigh, which have included the last four as associate head coach, Dyer has assisted with all aspects of the Mountain Hawks program, including helping guide the 2021 team to an 11-7 record and Patriot League semifinal appearance.
"Taylor has always been a fierce believer in the Division III philosophies and the opportunities that a balanced experience can provide for a student-athlete," Dallmeyer said of her long-time assistant. "As she has continued to challenge herself in new ways throughout her career and coach the game at a higher level, she has continually expressed her desire to go back to her roots and lead a DIII program. Taylor has proven her ability to elevate any and all programs she has worked with and I have no doubt she will do the same at Gettysburg."
Dyer coached and mentored 15 All-Patriot League selections, including the Spring 2021 Goalkeeper of the Year and Fall 2021 Defensive Player of the Year to go with six all-region selections. The former standout defender has helped Lehigh record multiple shutouts in five of her six seasons in Bethlehem.
Her players at Lehigh have also had success in the classroom with six players earning Academic All-Patriot League honors, 18 Zag/NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad selections, and three Scholars of Distinction.
Dyer has twice served as interim head coach while Dallmeyer was on maternity leave, including serving as acting head coach for nine games during the 2019 season. She has also served as a coach in the High Styx Field Hockey Club and for the USA Field Hockey Futures program.
In May 2019, she was selected to attend the NCAA Women Coaches Academy, a four-day educational academy hosted by the NCAA and WeCOACH. She has also served as a mentor at the Centennial Conference's Snell-Shillingford Coaching Symposium and as part of Lehigh's Staff TIDE committee, dedicated to education and training of staff on diversity, inclusion, equity, and anti-racism, aiming to increase conversation and awareness within the Lehigh Athletics staff.
Dyer holds a USA Field Hockey Level 1 Certification.
"I feel fortunate to have worked with incredible players, coaches, and mentors throughout my time in field hockey, and I am thrilled to be able to continue learning from new players, coaches, and mentors within the Gettysburg community," Dyer added. "A heartfelt thank you to Tina Mattera for fostering my love for hockey and introducing me to this career at Tufts, and to Caitlin Dallmeyer for providing such relentless support and guidance over my last six years at Lehigh."
Dyer officially assumes her duties as Bullets' head coach on June 13.