Megan Callahan, the longest tenured coach in program history, recently completed her 19th season as the head coach of the Johns Hopkins field hockey team in 2015. With a career record of 216-150 (.590), Callahan is the winningest coach in both Johns Hopkins and Centennial Conference history. She has guided the Blue Jays to at least 10 victories in 15 of her 19Â seasons, five NCAA tournament appearances, three Centennial Conference titles and two ECAC tournament appearances.
Callahan earned her 200th career win on August 29, 2014 with a 7-0 win over Sweet Briar, becoming the 20th active coach in NCAA Division III to reach the milestone. She guided the Blue Jays to a 10-9 record and a berth in the Centennial Conference Tournament. Hopkins rallied to defeat Washington College, 3-2, in the first round of the CC Tournament before falling at sixth-ranked Ursinus in the semifinals. Juniors Zoey Atabek and Leslie MacManus earned both Centennial Conference and NFHCA All-South honors.
In June 2014,Callahan played for the USA Women's Master Over 40 Team and at the 2014 FIH Masters World Cup in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
2013 was a tough year for Hopkins as the squad went 7-10 with a number of close loses against a tough schedule that included four teams ranked in the top 10. It was another young team forCallahan as the starting lineup featured four sophomores and one freshman. Hopkins just missed on a trip to the Centennial Conference Tournament but had a trio of players earn All-CC honors in senior Sarah Henderson, junior Alexa Lantiere and sophomore Leslie MacManus. Henderson also grabbed NFHCA All-South honors.
With a youthful roster that saw two sophomores and two freshmen start all season, the Blue Jays had an up-and-down season in 2012. Hopkins finished the season at 8-9 overall and 5-5 in the Centennial Conference to just miss a spot in the conference tournament. Senior defender Maggie Phillips brought home her second straight All-South accolades as she was also named First Team All-Centennial for the second straight year.
Callahan led Hopkins to another 10 win season in 2011 and the Centennial Conference semifinals. Hopkins appeared in the CC playoffs for the 11th time, a conference record. The Blue Jays won five straight games to end the regular season on a high note. Senior back Amy Wharton would add Second Team NFHCA All-America honors, the first JHU defender to do so since 2008.The 2010 season didn't start out the way Callahan and the Blue Jays would have liked as Hopkins went 1-4 in its first five games. But the Blue Jays rebounded to go 10-3 the remainder of the season and advanced to the Centennial Conference playoffs for the sixth straight year.
Hopkins went 13-6 in 2009 and made its seventh appearance in the Centennial Conference title game. The Blue Jays defeated three ranked teams in 2009, including the program's first ever win over perennial power TCNJ.Callahan guided the Blue Jays to a 16-5 record in 2008, the second most wins and the fourth 15+ win season in program history. Hopkins opened the season with 11 straight wins, a school record, beat five ranked teams and climbed to as high as third in the nation. The Blue Jays advanced to the Centennial Conference Tournament for the seventh time and the championship game for the sixth time. Hopkins then earned its eighth overall and second straight NCAA Tournament bid and hosted 17th-ranked Christopher Newport in the Blue Jays' first home NCAA Tournament game since 2003.
The 2007 season saw the Blue Jays go 14-6 with a national ranking as high as seventh, then a program-record. Hopkins advanced to the title game of the Centennial Conference Tournament en route to earning its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003. Despite a rough start to the 2006 season, while once again playing one of the toughest schedules in Division III,Callahan guided the Blue Jays to their most wins (15) since the 2000 team won 17 games. Hopkins finished at 15-7 overall and advanced to the Centennial Conference Championship game. The Blue Jays then made just their second appearance in the ECAC Tournament and advanced to the Mid-Atlantic title game.
Callahan began her coaching career in 1997, when she guided the Blue Jays to an 11-7 record. After a 10-9 season in 1998 in which Hopkins qualified for the ECAC tournament, she led the 1999 squad to a 17-3 mark, then the best record in school history, and JHU's first NCAA tournament victory, a 1-0 penalty-stroke win over Salisbury State. Callahan was named the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III South Region Coach of the Year for the outstanding season. The 2000 team matched the school record for wins, set another record by reeling off 15 straight victories and again advanced to the NCAA tournament. In 2001, Callahan led the Blue Jays to a 10-9 mark and an appearance in the finals of the Centennial Conference tournament. The following year, Hopkins went 12-9 and again advanced to the league tournament final.
In 2003, Hopkins finished with a 12-9 record for the second straight year, upset top-seeded Ursinus in the Centennial semifinals, and edged Gettysburg 4-3 in overtime to win the conference championship. The Blue Jays then made their third appearance in the NCAA tournament underCallahan and defeated Wesley, 5-1, in the first round before their season ended in the second round. A year later, Hopkins had its only losing season of Callahan's tenure, as it finished 6-12 overall and 3-7 in the conference. Despite the disappointing record, the team won three of their last five games and ended the season with a 1-0 loss to #4 Ursinus. Callahan and the Blue Jays rebounded in 2005, winning four more games than in 2004 despite playing one of the toughest schedules in Division III. Hopkins posted a 10-9 overall record and at 6-4 finished fourth in the Centennial Conference standings.
Callahan has coached nine NFHCA All-Americans, including 2011 selection Amy Wharton. In addition, during her tenure, she has coached 65 All-Centennial Conference and 38 NFHCA All-Region selections. In addition, three of her former players have been elected to the Johns Hopkins University Athletic Hall of Fame.
Callahan continues to play field hockey, as a member of the USA Field Hockey Masters team, BFHA and the FHC dcDragons.Â
A 1996 graduate of the University of Maryland,Callahan spent four years on the Terrapins' nationally ranked field hockey team. She tallied 13 goals and an assist during her career, and helped Maryland win the NCAA Championship in 1993 and advance to the NCAA Finals in 1995. She resides in downtown Baltimore with her son, Gavin (6) and daughter, Gracie (5).
Updated July 2016
