HAMDEN, Conn. – Quinnipiac University Deputy Director of Athletics and SWA Sarah Fraser has announced that Nina Klein has been named the head field hockey coach and second coach in program history, effective Friday, April 28, 2023.
"Nina Klein is a creative and high-energy leader who is also a three-time NCAA Div. I National Champion," said Fraser. "She understands the elements that build excellence and is a skilled motivator who wants to help each student-athlete reach their full potential. We look forward to working with her as she assumes leadership of the Quinnipiac program."
"I want to take the time to thank Sarah Fraser, Billy Mecca, and Greg Amodio for entrusting me with this program," said Klein. "They believed in my vision from the start and understand the level of intensity and hard work I will bring to this program daily. I look forward to the opportunity to compete for Big East Championships and I am excited to empower the next generation of female athletes as we continue to strive for excellence."
"When I came to Quinnipiac in 2018, I was enthralled by the opportunity to be a part of an athletic department community that was rich in history, tradition, and community," Klein continued. "Quinnipiac is a fantastic place to work and coach and I am ecstatic to join this family of coaches, administrators, and mentors."
A selector for USA Field Hockey U16 goalkeepers, Klein returns to Quinnipiac after serving as the assistant field hockey coach at Boston College for the 2022 season. This past season Klein coached defender Sarah Johnson to NFHCA Northeast Region First Team honors.
"I would also like to thank Kelly Doton (Head Coach), Matt Conway (Associate Athletics Director), and the entire field hockey team for my time at Boston College," Klein added. "Boston has been a tremendous home and I am thankful for my time at The Heights. Kelly Doton is a tremendous mentor, and I am grateful to have her in my circle as I transition into this new role."
Before working at Boston College, Klein served under former Quinnipiac field hockey head coach Becca Main for four seasons. Klein joined Quinnipiac as a volunteer assistant coach prior to the 2019 campaign before being elevated to associate head coach at the conclusion of the season.
Klein went on to serve in the position for three seasons, where she worked primarily with the defenders and goalkeepers throughout her first three seasons with the program. In 2020-21, Klein coached defender Jess Halley to Second Team NFHCA All-Mideast Region and Second Team All-BIG EAST honors.
Klein also has significant playing experience at the national level. Klein competed with the USA Field Hockey Women's National Development Team during her time as a coach with the Bobcats. In the Spring of 2019, Klein attended several training camps and a training trip with USA Field Hockey. Over that summer, Klein competed at the USA Field Hockey Young Women's National Championship and earned another invite to the USA Field Hockey Women's National Development Team selection camp in January 2020.
Before Quinnipiac, Klein was a standout goalkeeper for the UConn Huskies throughout her five years in Storrs, guiding the program to three national championships in that span.
Klein won her third national title in 2018 as a fifth-year starting goalkeeper for UConn, earning first-team All-America honors from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. She had a spectacular effort in a semifinal win over North Carolina, recording a career-high 13 saves in regulation and then making three saves in a 3-0 win in the shootout as the Huskies earned a 2-1 victory to advance to the national championship game.
