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Jen Hughes2025 is Jen Hughes's 22nd season at the helm of the Amherst College women's soccer program which has become one of the premiere teams in NCAA Division III. Since taking the reins in 2004, Hughes has led Amherst to a 270-73-44 overall record, eight NESCAC titles, and 16 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. She is the all-time winningest coach in program history, surpassing legend Michelle Morgan with her 208th win on Oct. 30th, 2021.
Hughes, along with assistants Su DelGuercio and Jeff Huffman, were named the United Soccer Coaches Region I Coaching Staff of the Year in both 2022 and 2023. In 2023, Hughes additionally earned her fourth NESCAC Coach of the Year honor and was also named Division III Women's Coach of the Year by New England Soccer Journal. In 2024, Hughes directed the Mammoths to a 14-2-6 overall record with a 5-1-4 ledger in NESCAC action en route to securing the team's eighth NESCAC Championship and third consecutive title. The Mammoths also earned their sixth straight NCAA postseason appearance, reaching the national quarterfinals, the furthest the Mammoths have advanced since 2011. In 2015, Hughes directed the Purple & White to a 11-3-3 overall record with a 6-2-2 ledger in NESCAC action en route to securing the team's 16th consecutive conference postseason berth. The Purple & White also earned its fifth straight NCAA postseason appearance and 15th overall following the 11-win campaign. During her time in Western Massachusetts, Hughes has led Amherst to several outstanding seasons, but the 2011 campaign was one of the best in program history. The Purple & White set several team records while winning their first 20 games, notably claiming the NESCAC title before cruising through the first three rounds of the NCAA tournament. Amherst finished its incredible season at 20-1-0 after falling to eventual champion Messiah in the quarterfinals, with Hughes getting recognized as the NESCAC and NSCAA New England Coach of the Year. A 1997 graduate of Colgate University, Hughes spent two seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater before earning master's degrees in both business administration and sport management at UMass-Amherst. She was one of the best women's soccer players in Colgate history, leading the Division I Red Raiders to three consecutive Patriot League Championships and earning countless individual honors. Graduating as Colgate's all-time leader in goals (40), assists (26) and points (106), Hughes was a 1997 NCAA Woman of the Year nominee and a winner of the ECAC Merit Medal for excellence in academics and athletics. Following her senior season, Hughes was selected to play on the Region 1 team at the 1998 U.S. National Soccer Festival and earned a spot on the W-League team for the New York Magic of the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues (USISL). She went on to play professionally for Tyreso FF of the Damallsvenskan Futbol League in Stockholm, Sweden, and was one of 250 players world wide invited to the inaugural Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) combine and player draft. Hughes is one of only two players in Colgate women's soccer history to have her jersey number retired. |
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Su DelGuercioSu DelGuercio was named Women's Soccer Assistant Coach in July of 2018.
After a third straight season finishing atop the NESCAC standings, DelGuercio and the Amherst coaching staff were the first to be honored as the NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year in 2023. The Amherst coaching staff was also named the Division III Region I Staff of the Year in back-to-back seasons in 2022 and 2023. The Mammoths have played in the NCAA Tournament in each of DelGuercio’s first six seasons on staff. The Mammoths under DelGuercio’s tutelage have garnered seven All-America selections from United Soccer Coaches and 24 All-Region selections. The Mammoths have earned 28 All-NESCAC selections and produced two NESCAC Players of the Year, three NESCAC Rookies of the Year and one NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year since DelGuercio joined the staff. In 2016-18, she served as a faculty member and coach at the Berkshire School in Sheffield, Mass., and prior to that had an extensive run as an assistant coach at the University of Redlands (California). With Redlands, DelGuercio helped oversee a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) regular season championship in 2015 and a post-season conference championship in 2014, which led to a spot in the NCAA Round of 32. From 2012-2016, DelGuercio helped coach an NSCAA All-American, 6 NSCAA All-West Selections, one CoSIDA Academic All-American and 11 All-Conference selections, including a SCIAC Player of the Year and a SCIAC Newcomer of the Year. In 2015, she was part of a Redlands staff that was named SCIAC Coaching Staff of the Year. At the same time, she earned two graduate degrees from Redlands, an MBA in 2014 and a Master of Higher Education in 2016. It is a return to New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) play for DelGuercio, who played at Colby College from 2007-10 where she was a senior captain and a three time All-NESCAC and All-New England selection. DelGuercio started on at her alma mater for one year after graduation to serve as an assistant coach, helping the Mules to a 7-7-1 record and a NESCAC postseason appearance. |