Temple University Athletics
Field Hockey
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- michelle.vittese@temple.edu
| MICHELLE VITTESE | |
| Hometown | Cherry Hill, N.J. |
| College | Virginia '13 |
| Coaching Experience | |
| Year | School, Position |
| 2021-Present | Temple, Head Coach |
| 2012-Present | Spirit of USA, Coach/Administrator |
Michelle Vittese enters her sixth season as head coach of the Temple University field hockey team in 2026.
The Owls posted a 12-6 record in 2025. Led by BIG EAST Co-Offensive Player of the Year Peyton Rieger and BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Lucia Magro, the Owls' offense ranked second in the conference in scoring average (2.45). Rieger ranked second in the league in points per game (1.50), third in goals per game (.56) and sixth in assists per game, registering the most points (27) by an Owl since 2015. Magro shined in her debut season, earning All-BIG EAST First Team honors alongside Rieger and becoming the first Temple freshman to register 20 points since 1987. The duo also earned NFHCA All-Region Second Team honors following the season.
Magro highlighted a strong freshman class that featured Mara Lenting (4G, 6A) and Kathryn Gauvin (5G, 2A), as the trio ranked among the top five on the team in points. Fellow first-year Lonneke Kerkhoff started all 18 games as a defender.
Notable wins for Temple in 2025 included a 5-4 decision over Delaware, a 2-0 victory over CAA champion Drexel, a 3-2 win over Atlantic 10 finalist Richmond and a 2-1 Senior Day victory over No. 14 Yale. Three of Temple's four BIG EAST losses came by a single goal, including a 3-2 shootout loss to No. 7 Liberty and a 3-2 defeat to Old Dominion in double overtime.
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 with seven shutouts, with NFHCA All-American 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 recorded wins in all nine games at Howarth Field in 2024 and entered the 2025 season riding a 12-game home winning streak, which ranked 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 first time Temple went undefeated at home since 1981.
In 2022, Vittese guided Temple to one of its most successful seasons in nearly a decade, finishing 13-6 overall and 4-3 in BIG EAST play while advancing to the BIG EAST Tournament for the third straight year. The Owls cracked the national rankings for the first time since 2014, coming in at No. 24 on Sept. 19 and ending the season at No. 23.
The Cherry and White saw early success, winning six of their first seven games and rallying from a 3-0 deficit to defeat Quinnipiac 6-3 in their league opener on Sept. 16. Temple clinched its BIG EAST Tournament berth on Oct. 28, defeating No. 13 UConn for the second consecutive year.
The Owls achieved their best RPI finish (23) since placing 11th in 2014 and recorded several statistical milestones: fewest penalty corners allowed (74) since tracking began in 2006, most goals scored (47) since 2015, fewest goals allowed (24) since 2004 and most shutouts (six) since 2010. Three Owls earned All-Conference honors, with Nienke Oerlemans and Tess Muller on the First Team and McKenna Burkhardt on the Second Team. Oerlemans also was named to the All-Region First Team for the third consecutive year.
In her first season as head coach in 2021, Vittese led the Owls to an 8-11 record, including a 4-3 mark in BIG EAST play. Temple advanced to the BIG EAST Tournament for the second consecutive year, clinching its berth with a win over then-No. 20 UConn, the program's first victory over the Huskies since 1989 and first over a ranked opponent since 2016.
The 2021 campaign also marked Temple's first winning season in conference play since 2015 and its best RPI finish since 2014. The defense showed marked improvement, allowing just 97 penalty corners while successfully defending 83. It was the fewest corners allowed since 2014 (103) and the first time since tracking began that Temple allowed fewer than 100.
Bringing an impressive background of international playing experience at the highest levels, Vittese joined Temple field hockey's staff as an assistant coach in March 2019. She was promoted to associate head coach in December 2019 and named interim head coach in August 2021. The interim tag was removed from her title in November 2021.
A three-time All-American at the University of Virginia, Vittese had an eight-year career with the U.S. Women's National Field Hockey Team, earning 211 international caps and competing in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
Since 2012, she has gained coaching and administrative experience with the Spirit of USA club team based in New Jersey, where she coached 200 athletes ages 6 to 18 while continuing her national team career through 2018.
Field hockey is a family tradition for Vittese and her younger sisters, Carissa and Tara, who both also played at Virginia. Carissa, a former graduate assistant and director of operations at Temple from 2015-17, is now the program's associate head coach. She joined Michelle on the U.S. National Team in 2017-18. Tara, the youngest, also played for the U.S. National Team and is the only player in history to earn Longstreth/NFHCA National Player of the Year honors three times.
Internationally, Vittese won four gold medals with Team USA, including two at the Pan American Games in 2011 and 2015.
A native of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Vittese graduated from the University of Virginia in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in history. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in higher education administration.
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Head Coaching Record
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| Year | Record | Postseason |
| 2021 | 8-11 (4-3 BIG EAST) | BIG EAST Semifinals |
| 2022 | 13-6 (4-3 BIG EAST) | BIG EAST Semifinals |
| 2023 | 11-8 (4-3 BIG EAST) | BIG EAST Semifinals |
| 2024 | 12-8 (5-2 BIG EAST) | BIG EAST Finals |
| 2025 | 12-6 (3-4 BIG EAST) | |
| Total | 56-39 (20-15 BIG EAST) |
