Lehigh Athletics named Corey Mayer the 10th field hockey head coach in program history, following a monthlong coaching vacancy.
For Mayer, taking over Lehigh field hockey wasn’t about the next job on her resume. She said it was about a program she believes is primed for a turnaround.
Mayer comes to Bethlehem after five seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Villanova University, where she helped the Wildcats win 41 games in five seasons and qualify for the Big East Tournament in 2023 and 2025.
A former All-CAA player during her undergraduate career at James Madison University, Mayer also represented the USA Women’s National Development Team and the Holcombe Hockey Club in the English Premier League in 2020.
As she steps into her first head coaching role, Mayer hopes to build Lehigh’s field hockey program by establishing a championship mentality, strengthening relationships among players in all grades and building a program that competes for Patriot League titles. She hopes to not only recruit great players on the field, but also great people.
Mayer said Lehigh’s academic reputation and the athletic department’s approach to assisting student-athletes, paired with the support system available to her as a first-time head coach, drew her to the job.
“I believe in the athletic department’s mission to holistically develop student athletes,” Mayer said. “I know that I can recruit student-athletes because Lehigh is a prestigious academic institution with a field hockey program that has great potential.”
The Mountain Hawks finished last season 4-13 overall and 1-5 in Patriot League play.
Sophomore Lily Burnside said the season didn’t go as the team had hoped, especially for the first-years.
“By our senior year we want to have a Patriot League title, and we all want to contribute to winning a Patriot League title.” Burnside said.
Mayer said her vision for the program centers on four core values, which she’s still finalizing with player input as they get through the season.
“I want to put players in situations where they have to be able to problem-solve, think on their own and be resilient in the face of adversity,” Mayer said.
Mayer said she wants to build a program that not only develops student-athletes, but constantly competes for Patriot League titles and connects with a strong alumni base for years to come.
Burnside said that mentality is already resonating with the team.
“The idea that our new coach wants to have a championship mentality, the same way that every single one of the girls on the team will also have a championship mentality, kind of gives us a lot of confidence that our values are already aligning,” Burnside said.
On the recruiting side, Mayer said she’s finishing out the program’s 2027 class while building her first full class for 2028.
She said she evaluates recruits on four pillars: athletic ability, technical skill, field hockey IQ and intangibles.
“I not only want to recruit great field hockey players,” Mayer said. “I want to recruit great people that will thrive at Lehigh.”
She said that same standard extends to the classroom.
“I want players to excel both on the field and in the classroom,” Mayer said. “Players will be able to carry the lessons that they learn being a division one athlete to other disciplines of their life.”
Senior Georgia Reynolds, one of the team’s veteran leaders, said Mayer has already made an effort to understand each player individually, even before meeting most of them in person.
“One thing I think (Mayer) can do to help take the team to the next level is just understanding each strength of every player,” Reynolds said. “By knowing and even just acknowledging it, it really helps build confidence and solidify that skill.”
To bridge the gap before the 2026 season, Reynolds said the team leaned on three accountability group chats run by players, a system started by the captains where teammates share workouts and stay connected over the summer.
The form of communication and accountability, Reynolds said, is a good way for the teammates to rely on one another and support the incoming first-year students’ transitions to college.
“(Mayer) has taken a lot of initiative to get to know us with one-on-one calls with us and build a good foundational relationship before we even got to campus,” Reynolds said.
Burnside said the uncertainty of a monthlong coaching search gave way to excitement once Mayer’s name surfaced, a coach she recognized from her own recruiting process in high school.
Burnside said she felt the excitement grow as the team learned more about Mayer.
“We’re going to take this opportunity with a completely fresh start,” Burnside said. “That isn’t an excuse to not do our personal best every time we step out onto the field.”
Mayer said she’s confident in what she can build in Bethlehem.
“I have trust in this place, the program and the people,” Mayer said. “Great things are coming for Lehigh field hockey.”
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