Washington & Jefferson College Athletics

Washington & Jefferson College has announced the addition of Mackenzie Gagliardi as the new Head Coach of the W&J Field Hockey program on June 16th, 2025.

Gagliardi comes to W&J after spending the past three years at Dallas High School in Dallas, Pa. as the Head Coach of the Mountaineers’ Field Hockey program. There, Gagliardi led her team to three district playoff appearances (2022-24), including a District Championship and State Playoffs appearance in 2024. Through her first two seasons, she increased the Mountaineer’s win percentage by 47 percent.
 
In her time at Dallas High School her teams and players earned NFHCA Team Academic Awards, 27 NFHCA Scholars of Distinction, three All-State Selections, and six Wyoming Valley Conference (WVC) All-Stars. Gagliardi’s team was also recognized as the 2024 WVC Division II Championship and the 2024 Sportsmanship Award.
 
While working with the Mountaineers in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Gagliardi also spent time working with USA Field Hockey as a Nexus Coach in Region 5 and 6. As a Level 1 Certified Nexus Coach, she helped identify and train top U14-U19 athletes within the region for advancement in USA Field Hockey’s Olympic Development Pathway.

Outside of athletics, Gagliardi also spent time working in the Luzerne County Office of Law in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. since 2022. Gagliardi worked as an Executive Secretary providing direct administrative support to the Chief Solicitor and legal team along with overseeing budget tracking, preparing expense reports, and managing internal documentation.
 
Gagliardi attended Division I Cornell University, competing on the Big Red Field Hockey program for two seasons. In the 2015 season, Gagliardi appeared in six games with three starts. That season, she compiled 12 saves and posted a 2-1 record in goal. Her career-high in saves came against the University of Delaware in her first collegiate appearance, making four saves. She also received the Jeff Stenstrom Memorial Award in 2016, which is awarded to the freshman student-athlete who best exemplifies leadership, dedication, and strength of character.
 
Gagliardi completed her coursework as a Communications major with a minor in education from Cornell in 2019.
 
A native of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Gagliardi graduated high school from Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory in 2015.