Wendy Orrison

Wendy Orrison is in her eighth season at the helm of the Washington and Lee field hockey program. Orrison ushered W&L into its first full varsity season in 2001 and has led the Generals to a .500 record or better in each of the past seven seasons.

The rise of the program culminated during the 2005 season when Orrison led the team to a 15-6 overall record, the program's first ODAC Championship and a berth to the NCAA Tournament.

After going 3-10 in 2001, Orrison led W&L to a 10-9 overall record in both the 2002 and 2003 seasons and to a 9-9 record in 2004. Additionally, W&L advanced to the ODAC Tournament Semifinals in 2002, 2003 and 2004, before winning the tournament championship in 2005. Orrison's 2006 team finished with a 14-6 overall record and again advanced to the ODAC Semifinals.  Her 2007 team went 11-7 overall and fell in the conference semifinals.

Orrison was presented the ODAC Coach of the Year award following the 2002 and 2005 seasons. Entering the 2008 season, her record at W&L stands at 72-56 (.563) overall.

Orrison began at W&L in July of 2001 after serving as head field hockey and lacrosse coach at Hollins University for four years. At Hollins, Orrison took over a field hockey program which had won only three games the previous three seasons and guided it to the ODAC Tournament in three of her four years. She also led the lacrosse team to .500 records each of her final two seasons, a first at Hollins in more than 10 years.

Before Hollins, Orrison had served as the varsity field hockey and lacrosse coach at Langley High School in McLean, Va. Her hockey teams posted a 54-32-3 overall record and qualified for the regional tournament in each of her six years as head coach. She was also instrumental in establishing a varsity lacrosse program at Langley, taking the team to the regional tournament in each of her three seasons.

Orrison is active with several camps and organizations, having served as the co-founder and director of the Great Falls Field Hockey Camp and an instructor with the United States Field Hockey Association, the Virginia
Commonwealth games and the Northern Virginia Field Hockey Club.

Orrison is a 1989 graduate of the University of New Mexico where she earned a bachelor of arts. She also holds a master of arts in liberal studies from Hollins. Orrison resides in nearby Natural Bridge, Va., with her husband Mike and children Carlisle and Nelly.