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DAVIS, Calif. — Former Indiana standout Rachel Stauffer is the newest member of UC Davis field hockey's staff, as announced by head coach Britt Broady on Wednesday. Stauffer joins the program after spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Penn.
 
"I'm honored and grateful to fill this role at UC Davis. I am thankful to Britt for the opportunity and her confidence in me, as well as coaches Colleen Fink and Katelyn O'Brien at Penn for their help in shaping me into the coach and person I am today," said Stauffer.
 
"I am eager to bring my passion for field hockey and life to Davis; this program is on an upward trajectory and I'm looking forward to continuing this with current student-athletes and coaches." 
 
Added Broady, "We are pleased to welcome Rachel to our staff. As a goal scorer in the Big Ten with honors for her play, she will bring high standards and expertise to our forward line. We have been focused upon our team attack and principles for the past year and I'm excited for Rachel to contribute her knowledge and energy."
 
In addition to on-field instruction and skill development, Stauffer played an integral role in the day-to-day operations of the Quakers' field hockey program. Not only was she involved with the development of the team's practice plans, she also broke down, coded and organized film sessions for use in individual meetings and scouting opponents.  
 
Responsible for handling every element throughout each road trip, Stauffer also focused her time and efforts during the year on the team's recruiting and fundraising efforts.
 
Stauffer's knowledge of the game, experience as a student-athlete and coach is why top international technical directors from around the world also invited her to train and instruct elite-level talents throughout her tenure at Penn.
 
In addition to her duties with the Quakers, Stauffer was an indoor and outdoor head coach for multiple U14-U19 teams, organized clinics, training programs and developed curriculum for Main Line Field Hockey Club (Philadelphia) since 2017.
 
Working alongside young women who seek an elite education, and a well-rounded student-athlete experience, is a situation familiar to Stauffer ever since she started her coaching career at Colby College in 2016.
 
On the turf, she strengthened players' fundamentals, taught various tactics and strategies for success through one-on-one sessions. Off it, she assisted academic advisors in helping individuals thrive at a liberal arts institution that is consistently ranked within the top 20 colleges and universities in the nation.
 
That experience prepared Stauffer for her next coaching opportunity at Swarthmore College — another top-ranked liberal arts institution — as one of its assistant coaches. As was the case at Colby College, she prepared individual and team skill development programs, film sessions, organized the program's recruiting efforts, fundraising outreach and year-wide slate of clinics.
 
As an Indiana field hockey student-athlete, Stauffer played a key role in the most successful season in program history when the Hoosiers set a new record during her senior season with their Big Ten wins total. That year, the Ephrata, Pennsylvania native was among the team's leaders in three categories: goals, points, and shot percentage.
 
In addition to receiving academic all-conference honors from Big Ten Conference officials on three occasions, Stauffer also served as Indiana field hockey's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee representative.
 
Stauffer graduated from Indiana University's School of Public Health in May of 2016 with a degree in sports communication — print, a certificate in journalism and minor in psychology.
 
 
 
 
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Over 700 student-athletes across 25 intercollegiate athletics teams, following the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, are enrolled in 71 of more than 100 academic programs at the fifth-ranked public school in the nation.
 
Centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and the Napa Valley, UC Davis is known nationwide as a leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, ranks annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.
 
UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.