Dr. Karen Weaver, a 1976 graduate of Abington High School and former athletic director at Penn State Abington, was honored on Monday for helping the Salisbury State College (now Salisbury University) field hockey team to its first-ever NCAA national championship in any sport in 1986. 

Dr. Weaver, an All-American goalkeeper at Lock Haven University and a would-be Olympian for the boycotted 1980 Moscow Games, guided the Sea Gulls to an undefeated season en route to a 3-2 win over Bloomsburg University.

She was recognized as USA Today National Coach of the Year at season’s end.

“I still have [President Bellavance’s telegram] somewhere,” said Weaver. “I remember the van ride home that night – yes, I was the driver – and I think I lost my hearing from all of the singing and celebrating.”

Dr. Weaver left Salisbury State College to rebuild the field hockey program at Ohio State University. She led the Buckeyes for nine seasons, culminating in the program’s first-ever Division I Tournament appearance in 1994, before transitioning into a academic career. She is currently on faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her doctorate in 2009, and has written extensively “on the intersection of college athletics, higher education leadership, and public policy.”
 
“When I took the job, Salisbury was an undiscovered gem in the world of women’s sports,” said Weaver. “When I visited, I could see a bit of the potential I had hoped to tap into. After leaving, I imagined that same strategy could apply to other situations.”

More details about the recognition can be found here.

In related news, Dr. Weaver told Glenside Local that she has a book coming out on August 11.

Titled “Understanding College Athletics: What Campus Leaders Need to Know About College Sports”, the book serves as a guide for university presidents, trustees, and senior leaders to navigate the complex, evolving landscape of college sports, focusing on governance, finance, NCAA rules, and the business aspects of athletics, helping them ask critical questions to align sports with institutional mission amidst challenges like NIL and media deals. 

You can purchase a copy here.

In January, Dr. Weaver served as the lead author and editor for a college textbook titled “Sport Finance: Where the Money Comes From, and Where the Money Goes“.

For more on Dr. Weaver’s career, you can read her biography.

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Photo: UPenn