Sharon Pfluger

American athletic coach (born 1960) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sharon Pfluger (née Goldbrenner; born November 16, 1960) is an American women's college lacrosse and field hockey coach for The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). With 603 wins, Pfluger is the NCAA career wins leader of women's lacrosse, and her 694 field hockey wins is the third-highest total of all time among NCAA field hockey coaches.[1][2] She has amassed 19[a] Division III National Championships between the two sports. Before becoming the head coach for TCNJ, she was an assistant for both sports at Drew University, and the head field hockey coach for Kean University and Montclair State University.

TeamTCNJ
ConferenceNJAC
Record603–84–1 (lacrosse)
685–148–9 (field hockey)
Quick facts Current position, Title ...
Sharon Pfluger
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamTCNJ
ConferenceNJAC
Record603–84–1 (lacrosse)
685–148–9 (field hockey)
Biographical details
Born (1960-11-16) November 16, 1960 (age 65)
Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, U.S.
Alma materTrenton State College (B.S., 1982)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Field hockey
1982Drew (assistant)
1983Kean
1984Montclair State
1985–presentTrenton State/TCNJ
Lacrosse
1984Drew (assistant)
1986–presentTrenton State/TCNJ
Head coaching record
Overall603–84–1 (.808) (lacrosse)
694–167–13 (.801) (field hockey)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Field Hockey
9 NCAA Division III (1985, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2011, 2014)
25x NJAC Tournament (1985–1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2006–2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019)
Lacrosse
11* NCAA Division III (1987, 1988, 1991–1996, 2000, 2005, 2006)
15x NJAC Tournament (2009, 2011–2019, 2021–2025)
Records
Most wins in women's college lacrosse (603)
U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2007
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Early life

Raised in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey,[3] she attended Pompton Lakes High School, where she competed in basketball, field hockey and softball.[4]

Pfluger was a member of the 1981 Trenton State College field hockey team that won the inaugural NCAA Division III field hockey tournament.[5] She graduated from Trenton State with a Bachelor of Science in 1982, majoring in health and physical education.[6]

Coaching career

Pfluger started her coaching career in 1982 at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, assisting with field hockey. She then became the head field hockey coach at Kean in 1983, leading the school to a 4–8–3 record. In 1984, she became the head at Montclair State and led the field hockey team to a 5–11–1. That same year she would return to Drew to assist with the lacrosse.[6]

In 1985 she returned to her alma mater, The College of New Jersey, then known as Trenton State College, to coach the field hockey team. The next year she was assigned to coach the lacrosse team as well. Under her lead, TCNJ has consistently been one of the best Division III programs for both lacrosse and field hockey. She has won the NCAA Division III women's lacrosse national championship 11 times with one being vacated, (1987, 1988, 1991, 1992*, 1993–1996, 2000, 2005, 2006).[7] She has won the NCAA Division III field hockey national championship nine times, (1985, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2011, 2014).

In 2007, she was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame

In the Fall of 2022, Pfluger became the first coach in NCAA history to reach 1,200 career victories while coaching two different sports.[6]

On April 23, 2025, she became the first women's lacrosse coach to reach 600 career wins [8]

Head coaching record

Lacrosse

More information Season, Team ...
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Trenton State/TCNJ Lions (NJAC) (1986–present)
1986 Trenton State 13–3–1NCAA Division III runner-up
1987 Trenton State 16–2NCAA Division III champion
1988 Trenton State 17–2NCAA Division III champion
1989 Trenton State 17–1NCAA Division III runner-up
1990 Trenton State 12–3NCAA Division III semifinals
1991 Trenton State 16–1NCAA Division III champion
1992 Trenton State 16–0NCAA Division III champion[b]
1993 Trenton State 15–0NCAA Division III champion
1994 Trenton State 15–0NCAA Division III champion
1995 Trenton State 17–0NCAA Division III champion
1996 TCNJ 14–0NCAA Division III champion
1997 TCNJ 14–1NCAA Division III runner-up
1999 TCNJ 14–1NCAA Division III semifinals
2000 TCNJ 17–0NCAA Division III champion
2001 TCNJ 12–2NCAA Division III semifinals
2002 TCNJ 17–1NCAA Division III runner-up
2003 TCNJ 15–1NCAA Division III semifinals
2004 TCNJ 18–1NCAA Division III runner-up
2005 TCNJ 16–2NCAA Division III champion
2006 TCNJ 15–2NCAA Division III champion
2007 TCNJ 12–3NCAA Division III quarterfinals
2008 TCNJ 17–2NCAA Division III semifinals
2009 TCNJ 16–35–01stNCAA Division III quarterfinals
2010 TCNJ 16–44–12ndNCAA Division III quarterfinals
2011 TCNJ 20–15–01stNCAA Division III semifinals
2012 TCNJ 16–45–01stNCAA Division III quarterfinals
2013 TCNJ 15–55–01stNCAA Division III quarterfinals
2014 TCNJ 19–26–01stNCAA Division III quarterfinals
2015 TCNJ 18–46–01stNCAA Division III quarterfinals
2016 TCNJ 20–26–01stNCAA Division III regional
2017 TCNJ 19–26–01stNCAA Division III runner-up
2018 TCNJ 20–36–01stNCAA Division III semifinals
2019 TCNJ 14–66–01stNCAA Division III regional
2020 TCNJ 4–0Season ended due to COVID-19
2021 TCNJ 9–33–12ndNCAA Division III quarterfinals
2022 TCNJ 18–36–01stNCAA Division III semifinals
2023 TCNJ 16–45–0T-2ndNCAA Division III third round
2024 TCNJ 14–55–01stNCAA Division III second round
2025 TCNJ 14–55–01stNCAA Division III second round
Trenton State/TCNJ: 603–84–1 (.877)86–2 (.977)
Total:603–84–1 (.877)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

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Field hockey

More information Season, Team ...
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Kean Cougars (NJSAC) (1983)
1983 Kean 4–8–3
Kean: 4–8–3 (.367)
Montclair State Indians (NJSAC) (1984)
1984 Montclair State 5–11–1
Montclair State: 5–11–1 (.324)
Trenton State/TCNJ Lions (NJAC) (1985–present)
1985 Trenton State 22–38–01stNCAA Division III champion
1986 Trenton State 24–37–11stNCAA Division III semifinals
1987 Trenton State 18–48–01stNCAA Division III tournament
1988 Trenton State 21–0–28–01stNCAA Division III champion
1989 Trenton State 21–18–01stNCAA Division III runner-up
1990 Trenton State 18–0–17–0–11stNCAA Division III champion
1991 Trenton State 19–0–18–01stNCAA Division III champion
1992 Trenton State 18–28–01stNCAA Division III runner-up
1993 Trenton State 18–1–18–01stNCAA Division III semifinals
1994 Trenton State 19–18–01stNCAA Division III runner-up
1995 Trenton State 20–08–01stNCAA Division III champion
1996 TCNJ 21–17–11stNCAA Division III champion
1997 TCNJ 16–38–01stNCAA Division III regional
1998 TCNJ 14–46–23rdNCAA Division III regional
1999 TCNJ 20–08–01stNCAA Division III champion
2000 TCNJ 13–43–12ndNCAA Division III regional
2001 TCNJ 13–43–1T-1stNCAA Division III semifinals
2002 TCNJ 13–33–12ndNCAA Division III semifinals
2003 TCNJ 17–33–23rdNCAA Division III semifinals
2004 TCNJ 14–65–11stNCAA Division III regional
2005 TCNJ 15–54–2T-2ndNCAA Division III second round
2006 TCNJ 17–36–01stNCAA Division III regional
2007 TCNJ 17–36–01stNCAA Division III regional
2008 TCNJ 16–36–01stNCAA Division III quarterfinals
2009 TCNJ 9–65–12nd
2010 TCNJ 17–56–01stNCAA Division III second round
2011 TCNJ 24–26–01stNCAA Division III champion
2012 TCNJ 15–54–2T-2nd
2013 TCNJ 16–45–1T-1st
2014 TCNJ 23–16–01stNCAA Division III champion
2015 TCNJ 20–26–01stNCAA Division III semifinals
2016 TCNJ 16–46–01stNCAA Division III second round
2017 TCNJ 17–45–1T-1stNCAA Division III semifinals
2018 TCNJ 16–54–23rdNCAA Division III regional
2019 TCNJ 18–16–01stNCAA Division III second round
2020 TCNJ Season canceled due to COVID-19
2021 TCNJ 11–53–23rd
2022 TCNJ 13–75–12ndNCAA Division III second round
2023 TCNJ 11–83–2T-2nd
2024 TCNJ 13–75–12nd
2025 TCNJ 13–65–12nd
Trenton State/TCNJ: 685–148–9 (.819)235–26–1 (.899)
Total:694–167–13 (.801)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

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See also

Notes

  1. Not including NCAA vacated 1992 Trenton State lacrosse title due to use of an ineligible player during the tournament.
  2. NCAA vacated the 1992 Trenton State lacrosse title due to use of an ineligible player during the tournament.

References

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