ST. MARY’S CITY — St. Mary’s College of Maryland has named Allyson Osborne the permanent head field hockey coach, removing the interim tag after she guided the Seahawks to conference championships and a third NCAA Division III Tournament appearance in 2025.
Director of Athletics & Recreation Crystal Gibson announced the decision Monday. Osborne, who served one year as an assistant before taking over as interim head coach in August 2025 following the departure of nine-year head coach Jessica Lanham, led the team to a 13-6 overall record, the United East Conference regular-season title and the conference tournament championship. The Seahawks earned the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and extended their streak of undefeated conference play to five seasons.
“After an outstanding season as our interim head coach, Allyson demonstrated exceptional leadership, a commitment to student-athlete success, and the ability to elevate our field hockey program to new heights,” Gibson said. “Guiding the team to a conference championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance made it clear that she is the right person to lead our program moving forward. We are thrilled to remove the interim title and officially welcome Coach Osborne as the head field hockey coach at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.”
Osborne, a Nottingham, Pennsylvania native, inherited a program with a strong recent record of four conference regular-season titles, two conference tournament championships and two prior NCAA Tournament appearances, including a 22-0 league mark from 2021 to 2024. She built on that foundation in her first season at the helm.
“I am grateful for the trust of Crystal Gibson and the entire search committee in me to lead the next generation of St. Mary’s field hockey,” Osborne said. “This team has a contagious culture of excellence, and I am eager to build upon that legacy both on and off the field.”
Under Osborne, the Seahawks secured their second straight United East tournament title with a 1-0 double-overtime victory over Penn State Harrisburg in the championship game. She mentored three National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Region IV selections and eight All-United East honorees, including the 2026 United East Defensive Player of the Year. The team also maintained its strong academic performance, with 18 players named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad — seven as Scholars of Distinction — and 25 of 27 rostered players earning spots on the 2025 United East Fall All-Academic Team.
Osborne arrived at St. Mary’s College after one-year assistant coaching stints at Allegheny College and Oberlin College. A four-year starting goalkeeper at Hartwick College from 2017 to 2020, she was named the 2020 Empire 8 Goalkeeper of the Year, earned 2019 NFHCA All-North Atlantic Region Second Team honors and collected two First Team All-Empire 8 selections. She was a four-time NFHCA National Academic Squad member and twice a Scholar of Distinction before graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 2021.
The decision provides continuity for a program that has established itself as a consistent contender in the United East Conference and a source of pride for St. Mary’s County and the broader Southern Maryland community. St. Mary’s College, located in St. Mary’s City, draws student-athletes from across the tri-county region, and sustained success in Seahawk athletics supports local interest in the college’s programs.
Osborne’s rapid progression from assistant to interim head coach to permanent leader reflects the program’s emphasis on developing coaches who understand its culture of excellence both on the field and in the classroom. With the Seahawks coming off another championship campaign, the permanent appointment positions the team for continued competitiveness in conference play and potential NCAA Tournament returns.
