On Tuesday, March 24, the University of Massachusetts women’s soccer team announced assistant coach Mary Hearin is leaving the program. She is heading to Storrs, Conn., to fill UConn’s associate head coach vacancy.
“Coach [Hearin], thank you for your tireless dedication and for always pushing us to be our best both on and off the field,” the Instagram announcement caption read.
Hearin, who joined the program for the 2023 season, was named a recruiting coordinator when the team announced Kendra Jones joined head coach Jason Dowiak’s coaching staff as an assistant coach.
During her four years in Amherst, Hearin aided the program to 14 wins, its most in a season since 2011.
The 2024 campaign saw the Minutewomen reach the Atlantic 10 championship, where they lost to Saint Louis 3-1.
Hearin was also on the coaching staff for an 11-game win streak at Rudd Field.
In Amherst, she helped in the development of Bella Recinos, Ella Curry and Ashley Lamond. Recinos was named A-10 midfielder of the year in back-to-back seasons under Hearin’s guidance.
Before joining the Minutewomen, Hearin was associate head coach at the University of Delaware. She was at the program for the 2022 season where the Blue Hens had an overall record of 2-11-5 and a conference record of 1-6-2.
“When I hired [Hearin] three years ago, I knew we were getting someone great, but I could never have imagined just how big a part of our program and UMass Athletics she would become, or how she would help me grow as a coach and a person,” Dowiak said in the announcement post. “She has invested all of herself into making us better and although I am very sad to see her go, I am so incredibly proud of her and excited for this next step in her coaching journey.”
Emma Bensley can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @emmabensley4.
