New coaches to lead womens lacrosse and golf

Dee Stephan Named Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach

Diane “Dee” Stephan has been named the sixth permanent head coach in the 25-year history of the Eastern Connecticut State University women’s lacrosse program.

A native of Clinton, Stephan brings an abundance of coaching and administrative experience to Eastern. She is the founder and owner of the Avon-based Dodgers, Inc., an elite travel lacrosse program for girls that trains and teaches grade-school student-athletes.

Stephan’s appointment follows the department’s recent decision to split the field hockey and women’s lacrosse head coaching positions, both previously held by Christine Hutchison since 2007. Hutchison will remain as the full-time head field hockey coach.

Stephan’s previous collegiate coaching experience came as head women’s lacrosse coach at the University of Saint Joseph for one year in 2011 and as a graduate assistant field hockey coach at Syracuse University in 1988.

While Stephan prides herself on an ability to maximize the available talent, she points to the University’s academic reputation as a selling point in her effort to attract potential recruits. “I really feel that the academics at Eastern are a lot stronger than I think some people in Connecticut realize. Eastern is positioned well to recruit students throughout the Northeast.”

From 2000–17, Stephan has coached women’s varsity lacrosse at Avon, Canton and Lewis Mills high schools and field hockey at Windsor High School and also coached women’s lacrosse for five years at The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, where her teams won league titles every season

Stephan holds a B.S. Degree in Physical Education from Southern Connecticut and an M.A. in Education from Syracuse University, and lives in Avon with her husband Chris.

Chris Wojick ’11 Named Men’s Golf Head Coach

Chris Wojick ‘11 has been named head men’s golf coach. The team will begin play this fall. In addition to his golf duties, Wojick serves as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for the baseball team.

“Chris has proven himself to be an exceptional recruiter, and we are anticipating he will help us develop a competitive men’s golf program very quickly,” said Athletic Director Lori Runksmeier. “We are excited to have him as head men’s golf coach in 2020.”

A 2006 graduate of Montville High School, Wojick has been coaching college athletics for nine years in various roles. Both his parents — Anna and Bill — are also Eastern graduates.

Wojick transferred to Eastern in the spring of 2008, helping the baseball team to four straight NCAA tournament berths, two Little East Conference regular-season championship and one LEC tournament championship. He holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Eastern and is working toward his M.A. degree in Liberal Studies.

After a 38-year hiatus, intercollegiate men’s golf was reinstated  in the summer of 2019. “I’m very excited about adding men’s golf to our complement of varsity sport offerings at Eastern,” said  Runksmeier. “This commitment demonstrates the support that President Núñez and other members of the administration give  our student-athletes and the Athletic Department.”