Villanova field hockey coach Joanie Milhous is still going strong after 30 years: ‘I’m having more fun now than I’ve had in a while’

When Villanova lost in the Big East semifinals last November, senior leaders Sabine de Ruijter and Meghan Mitchell knew their field hockey careers would not end there.

The star forwards returned as graduate students and are spearheading Villanova’s 2024 campaign.

De Ruijter said her motivation to return wasn’t solely about unfinished business in the Big East. It also was inspired by head coach Joanie Milhous and the culture Milhous built within the program.

“I speak very highly of [Milhous] to any recruit who asks what it’s like to play at Villanova,” de Ruijter, a native of the Netherlands, said. “One of the reasons I came back was also for her and for this team, because I love it here.”

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In her 30-year tenure as Villanova’s head coach, Milhous has overseen the program’s evolution over the decades.

Milhous joined the Wildcats in 1995 after four seasons coaching at Cabrini. She also has contributed significantly to the expansion of collegiate field hockey as a member of the NCAA’s field hockey regional committee and field hockey rules subcommittee.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought unforeseen changes to NCAA programs. Seasons were canceled, and the landscape changed with the emergence of the transfer portal and NIL. Meanwhile, Villanova’s last Big East tournament appearance had come in 2018, and progress seemed to be stalling.

The pause gave Milhous an opportunity to reassess Villanova’s program — and give it new life.

“I’ve been coaching for a long time, but I got to a point where I was like, ‘You know what? We can be better,’” Milhous said. “We’re good, but I want to be great. And it wasn’t just what the coaches wanted … we wanted [the players] to be part of it, to buy into it, and to take ownership of it.”

In 2020, Villanova started working with The Program, an organization that facilitates culture and leadership development. Together, the team created new standards and a vision for the program’s future.

“We came up with the three words of ‘passion, growth, and accountability,’ and we’ve got standards in place beneath them,” Milhous said. “And, literally, this has changed our program. Our culture has truly never been better.”

Last season, the Wildcats ended their five-year drought and qualified for the Big East tournament, where they lost, 3-2, to top-seeded Liberty in the semifinal.

While the Wildcats program is on the rise, there still are plenty of challenges to overcome in 2024.

Villanova had an unexpectedly disappointing start to this season. Milhous said “passion” was what the team lacked as it lost, 2-1, to JMU in the season opener on Aug. 30.

“It’s easy to live by [the team standards] when things are good,” Milhous said. “It’s most challenging to live by them when things are tough. That’s when your true character comes out. So we always go back to them and say, ‘We have to keep our passion, our growth, our accountability.’ And everybody does.”

Milhous derives much of her confidence in the program’s direction from the coaching and support staff she has compiled alongside assistants Karlie Kisha and Corey Mayer.

Kisha, a UConn alumna and member of the U.S. women’s national team, rejoined the Villanova staff after competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer. In addition to coaching, Mayer serves as the team’s recruiting coordinator.

“I tell all recruits and their parents that I would put our [coaching] staff up against any staff in the country,” Milhous said. “We’ve got an amazing balance of experience, talent, and skill, and three coaches that truly care about the girl, not just the player.”

The Wildcats (6-5, 2-1 Big East) lost, 5-0, No. 8 UConn, on Friday. But Milhous sees facing elite competition as an opportunity for the program to further develop among the nation’s best.

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“I see us being a top-20 school, without a doubt,” Milhous said. “I think word’s getting out about our program, which is super exciting. We’re definitely playing a tougher schedule this year than we have in the past couple of years. That’s only going to help us improve and get on the map.”

Villanova is reaching a competitive level that it has not seen in years. Yet Milhous says the relationships she cultivates with the young women she coaches stand above all else. Continuity and trust have become hallmarks on the Main Line.

“We’re very fortunate to have a coach who’s been through every situation that you can throughout a game and throughout a season,” Mitchell said. “[Milhous] knows how to handle everything, so we really trust her and the game plan every time.”

But is Milhous getting tired of the grind?

“Some people have said to me, ‘Oh my gosh, 30 years, are you still having fun?’” Milhous said. “And, honestly, I’m having more fun now than I’ve had in a while because everybody is on the same page. Everybody’s doing it for each other.”