Katie Kloeckener enters her fourth season as an assistant coach at Wesleyan in 2026.
The Cardinals keep improving in the three years Kloeckener has been with the program, as evidenced by Wesleyan winning nine games in 2023 to a 12-win season in 2024 to a program record 16-win campaign in 2025 that featured the team's first-ever NESCAC runner-up appearance and trip to the Quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
Wesleyan is 37-18 in three years since Kloeckener's arrival with a 18-12 regular season league record in the ultra competitive NESCAC. The 2025 squad made history all throughout the season including wins over Amherst and Williams to capture the Cardinals' fourth Little Three title in program history and first since 2003. Wesleyan defeated perennial power Middlebury on the road, 2-1 in double overtime, to secure the team's first-ever road win over the Panthers and first win over Midd since 2000. Wesleyan won 10 straight games throughout the regular season into the postseason, matching a team record, including a 2-0 upset win at top-seeded Tufts in the NESCAC Semifinal round to advance to the NESCAC Final for the first time in team history. Wesleyan then qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and recorded wins over Marywood and Hamilton to reach the Quarterfinals for the first time.
The 2024 season saw Wesleyan go 12-6, recording the team's first double-digit win season since 2010 and most wins in a year since 2000. Wesleyan hosted it's first NESCAC Tournament home playoff game since 2005 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in team history. The Cardinals defeated Ithaca 2-0 at home in the First Round for the team's first NCAA Tournament win. Wesleyan was ranked Top 10 nationally for the first time in team history.
In Kloeckener's first season at Wes, the Cardinals completed their most-successful season in well over a decade. Wesleyan was ranked as high as No. 16 nationally, garnering a national ranking for the first time since 2010. The Cardinals defeated No. 5 ranked Tufts, 2-1 in overtime in Medford, signaling the first time the Cardinals defeated a Top 5 ranked team on the road in team history. Wesleyan earned a spot in the NESCAC Tournament for the first time since 2013 and had a single-season team record three First Team All-NESCAC selections.
Prior to Wesleyan, Kloeckener spent seven years as an assistant field hockey coach and recruiting coordinator for Trinity College. Trinity teams took trips to the NCAA Tournament in four seasons during her time, reaching the Elite 8 in 2022. She also helped lead the Bantams to the NCAA Division III Final Four in 2021 for the first time in over 20 years. The Bantams qualified for the NESCAC Tournament in each of her seasons, reaching the NESCAC Final in 2017. While at Trinity, she coached a two time National Player of the Year, two NESCAC Offensive Players of the Year, 20 All NESCAC players, 17 All New England West Region players, and 8 NFHCA All American players.
Prior to Trinity, Kloeckener spent eight years at Sacred Heart University in various capacities. Kloeckener joined the Pioneer coaching staff in the summer of 2008 as an assistant coach before being named interim head coach for the fall of 2010. After returning to her assistant position, she eventually took over the team full-time in 2012. While at Sacred Heart, she coached 22 all-conference (NEC/MAAC) players as well as eight teams that won National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Academic Awards.
Prior to Sacred Heart, Kloeckener played field hockey at Ball State University, where she graduated summa cum laude in 2008 with a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science. While there, Kloeckener was named to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) All-Academic Team as well as the NFHCA Academic Team for each of her four years. She played for a Cardinal team that was the MAC Championship Runner-Up in 2006.
Kloeckener also served as a head coach and site director at a Futures (NEXUS) site for US Field Hockey for six years and has coached at numerous field hockey camps throughout the country. She is a USAFH member with a Level II Coaching Certification and is a Women's Coaches Alliance Academy 2015 graduate. Kloeckener earned a Master's degree from Trinity College in Public Policy in 2018. She also served as the NFHCA Associate/Assistant Coach Board Representative for the last two years.
