BALTIMORE, MD – Johns Hopkins field hockey head coach Jane Wells announced today the hiring of James Albanese as the Blue Jays' assistant coach. Albanese comes to Homewood after coaching stints with the Princeton Field Hockey Club, The Hun School of Princeton and Holy Cross. He will begin his duties full-time on July 5.
 
"We are so thrilled to welcome James to the Hopkins Field Hockey family," said Wells. "His love for the game, technical and tactical expertise, and Division I coaching experience are sure to be huge assets to our program. James' experience with the USA Men's Indoor National Team in the past will provide a unique opportunity for our team. He stood out from the first day in an extremely competitive search - his goals, values, and coaching philosophy are deeply aligned with those of our program, making him an ideal addition to our staff."
 
Albanese joined the Princeton Field Hockey Club in October 2020, where he coached U14, U16 and U18 athletes for one of the nation's top field hockey clubs. Prior to that, he spent one season as an assistant coach at The Hun School of Princeton. 
 
"I am so honored to join the Johns Hopkins field hockey program," Albanese said. "Hopkins is an incredibly special place, where student-athletes can compete at the highest level, while gaining a world-class education. This is a dream come true and I want to thank Jane Wells, Jill Guise, Jake Olkkola, and Jennifer Baker for giving me this opportunity and believing in me. I have high expectations for this talented team, and I'm committed to helping them reach their goals on and off the field. Under the leadership of Coach Wells, I am confident that we will continue to build on the history of success here at Hopkins. I can't wait to get started."
 
Albanese began his coaching career while an undergraduate at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He spent three years as a student assistant for the Minutewomen, helping them to 39 wins, two Atlantic 10 Tournament Championships and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. After graduating in 2018 with a degree in geology, Albanese spent two years as an assistant coach at College of Holy Cross before returning to his alma mater, The Hun School, as an assistant coach with the Raiders' field hockey team. 
 
Albanese played on the 2019 and 2020 US Men's Indoor National Teams as well as the East Coast High Performance Team. In addition, he has USA Field Hockey Level 1 Coach and Umpire certifications.