Carissa Vittese - Field Hockey Coach

Carissa Vittese

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
carissa.vittese@temple.edu

Carissa Vittese returned to Temple in 2019 as a volunteer assistant coach, two years after earning her master’s degree and departing to play for Team USA. She was promoted to assistant coach in January 2020 and to associate head coach in March 2025, where she currently serves under her older sister, Michelle Vittese.

In 2024, Temple advanced to the BIG EAST final for the first time since 2015 following a 2-1 double-overtime win over Old Dominion. The Owls led the BIG EAST in shutouts with seven, with NFHCA All-America back Alize Maes leading both the offense and defense. The BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year paced Temple’s offense with 20 points and seven goals.

Temple won all nine games at Howarth Field in 2024 and enters the 2025 season riding a 12-game home winning streak, which ranks second nationally behind only UMass and North Carolina. The Owls outscored opponents 32-4 during the streak, including three overtime wins and nine shutouts. It marked the program’s first undefeated home season since 1981.

Vittese helped lead the Owls to one of their most successful seasons in nearly a decade in 2022, with the team finishing 13-6 (4-3 BIG EAST) and advancing to the BIG EAST Tournament for the third straight year. Temple cracked the national rankings for the first time since 2014, debuting at No. 24 on Sept. 19 and finishing the season at No. 23.

The Cherry and White found early success that season, winning six of their first seven games and rallying from a 3-0 deficit to defeat Quinnipiac 6-3 in the league opener on Sept. 16. Temple clinched its BIG EAST Tournament berth on Oct. 28 with a victory over No. 13 UConn, marking the second consecutive year the Owls defeated the Huskies.

The Owls recorded their best RPI finish (23) since 2014 and showed significant statistical improvements: fewest penalty corners allowed (74) since the stat began being tracked in 2006; most goals scored (47) since 2015; fewest goals allowed (24) since 2004; and most shutouts (6) since 2010. Three Owls earned All-Conference honors—Nienke Oerlemans and Tess Muller were named to the First Team, while McKenna Burkhardt was named to the Second Team. Oerlemans also earned All-Region First Team honors for the third straight year.

Vittese previously served as Temple’s director of operations from 2015–17 while earning her master’s degree in educational leadership. Near the end of her time at Temple, she was named to the U.S. Women’s National Field Hockey Team.

She was part of the U.S. squad that placed third at the 2017 Pan American Cup and seventh at the 2017 World League Finals. Vittese also competed in the International Festival of Hockey and the Four Nations Women’s Ibaraki International Tournament. While she is no longer on the outdoor national team roster, both Carissa and Michelle Vittese currently compete for the U.S. Women’s Indoor National Team.

A 2014 graduate of the University of Virginia, Vittese was named to the All-ACC Second Team and earned NFHCA All-Region Second Team honors as both a junior and senior. She helped the Cavaliers reach three NCAA Tournaments during her career, including a Final Four appearance in 2010.

In addition to her time with Team USA, Vittese coached for the Spirit of USA Field Hockey Club—owned by her family—over the past two years. Her U14 and U16 teams recently qualified for Nationals, and she earned her USA Field Hockey Level 2 coaching accreditation in early 2019. In the spring, she also served as an interim assistant coach for Saint Joseph’s field hockey program, which was coming off an 18-3 season and an NCAA Tournament appearance.