Vineland native Penny Kempf, Rowan University associate athletic director and senior women’s administrator, was recently named to the inaugural class of Honorary Members by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA).
The 13-member class includes former coaches, administrators and supporters who paved the way for the sport and the NFHCA. Kempf, who was inducted into the NFHCA Hall of Fame in 2021 is part of the group that consists of NFHCA Hall of Fame members, former coaches, board members, athletic administrators and umpires.
Kempf coached the Rowan field hockey team for 17 years from 1998 to 2014. She compiled a 253-81 overall record, for the most wins in school history and led the Profs to the 2002 NCAA Championship, marking the only title in the program to date, as that squad completed the year with a perfect 21-0 record.
A member of the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Committee, Kempf is also serving as the tournament director for the 2022 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championships which will be hosted by Rowan on November 18-20.
During her tenure as head coach, the Profs made 12 trips to the NCAA Tournament, reaching the national semifinals three times, which included the appearance in the 2002 championship game. Kempf led the Profs to six NJAC championships, including the program’s first in 1998.
Kempf, who led Rowan to 17 consecutive winning seasons, saw 27 of her student-athletes earn All-America honors and 53 gain All-Region recognition, while a total of 77 Profs were named All-Conference performers in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).
She swept the coaching awards in 2002 as she was named the NFHCA National Coach of the Year, as well as the Coach of the Year for the South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year and the NJAC. Additionally, Kempf earned the conference’s Coach of the Year award in 1998 and 2009.
Kempf is ranked ninth among all-time Division III coaches with a 75.7 winning percentage. She served on the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Committee and is a past chair for the national committee and the South Atlantic Region.
An All-American in field hockey and lacrosse at TCNJ, Kempf will be inducted into the TCNJ Athletics Hall of Fame this October. She was previously inducted into the Rowan Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.
