SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Shippensburg University director of athletics Jeff Michaels announced Thursday that Rayell Wallace has been hired as the head field hockey coach at Shippensburg University.
 
Wallace has worked for more than a decade as either an NCAA Division II head coach or an NCAA Division I assistant coach after playing at the highest levels of the sport both in college and with the USA National Team.
 
She arrives at Shippensburg after spending the last five years as the head coach at fellow Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) school Slippery Rock.
 
"I am really excited to take on a new challenge," Wallace said. "I am grateful to everyone with whom I have worked along the way as I continue my coaching career at Shippensburg, where I inherit a championship culture that I want to maintain and enhance."
 
At Slippery Rock, Wallace instructed multiple All-PSAC performers and ranked among the Top 5 coaches in school history for career victories. She maintained a reputation for academic excellence at the school, coaching more than 50 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-Academic Squad selections and more than 40 NFHCA Scholars of Distinction.
 
"Having a familiarity with the PSAC helps in recruiting, as I know the styles of player and the types of people who can thrive at Shippensburg," Wallace said. "Our conference is so special. Every game is intense and exciting."
 
Prior to Slippery Rock, Wallace spent six years as an NCAA Division I assistant coach at Miami (Ohio). Wallace was an integral member of the staff that led the RedHawks to a 65-40 (.619) record, four Mid-American Conference (MAC) regular season titles, three MAC Championships and three NCAA Tournament berths. She assisted in the development of 25 All-MAC performers, five of which were named the MAC Athlete of the Year, as well as nine all-region honorees and four All-Americans.
 
"I'm very excited to have Rayell join us at Ship," Michaels said. "With her experience in the PSAC and NCAA Division II she is very aware of our program's past accomplishments and its future goals.  Rayell's success during her playing days and her coaching experience at the Division I and Division II levels has prepared her for this next challenge."
 
Michaels added: "I have been very impressed with the conversations we had during the search process. She knows the high standards for this program and I'm confident that she's the right person to lead us forward."
 
In addition to her coaching experience, Wallace has played at the highest levels of the sport. As a collegian, Wallace was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American at UConn who played in nine games with the USA National Team after her collegiate career.
 
With the Huskies from 2008-11, Wallace was a three-time All-Big East performer who started all 87 games over her four-year career – totaling 30 points (12 goals, six assists) and four defensive saves. UConn went 71-16 during her tenure as a player, winning three Big East Championships and making four NCAA Tournament appearances. Wallace was a member of the USA National Team from 2013-15.
 
"I want our team to be seen as a workhorse at both ends of the field, on and off the ball," Wallace said. "We have the ability to possess a consistent and persistent attack mentality in our style of play. I am excited to utilize the support and technology that's already in place to maintain a first-class level of productivity for our team."
 
Additional coaching experience for Wallace includes one year as an assistant at Lafayette in 2012 while she was a member of the national team. The Leopards were ranked among the Top 10 teams in Division I that season, finishing 17-3 with a Patriot League Championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance. She has also worked as a youth field hockey instructor at Spooky Nook and as an assistant club coach.
 
Wallace replaces Tara Zollinger, who resigned in March to take the head coaching position at the University of Delaware. Zollinger guided Shippensburg to three NCAA Division II National Championships, two PSAC Championships and a 118-25 overall record in her seven seasons with the Raiders.
 
A native of Hamburg, Wallace is a Level 2 certified coach who earned her bachelor's degree in allied health from UConn in 2012. She later earned her master's degree in sport leadership from Miami (Ohio) in 2019.
 
She is married to her husband Collin, who played college football at Westminster. The couple are the proud parents of a baby girl, Carter Wallace.