Jackie Rutkowski begins her fourth season as head lacrosse coach with the Hawks in 2016-17.
This past season, she led 'Wick to a 5-10 overall record and coached Empire 8 Second Team honoree, junior Lauren Rosenberg.
Rutkowski piloted 'Wick to a 6-8 overall record and 3-5 mark in the Empire 8 in 2016. It marked the most conference wins for the program since 2007.
In her first season, she guided the Hawks to a record of 6-10. Five players received Empire 8 accolades, including senior midfielder Ali Sisco and junior defender Caroline Stanford, who were selected to the Second Team.
Rutkowski, a former head coach at Albion College in Michigan, spent the 2013 season at her alma mater, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she helped guide the Division II Crimson Hawks to a 13-3 overall mark.
Rutkowski helped guide IUP to its second straight appearance in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) semifinals and a national ranking of #12. The team’s thirteen wins and an 11-game win streak to start the season also marked program records.
While with the Crimson Hawks this past spring, Rutkowski coached alongside PSAC Coach of the Year, Mindy Richmond. The pair coached the program’s first Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-Americans, Alexa Lodovici and Taylor Norwood.
Prior to 2013, Rutkowski served as Albion’s first head coach in program history from 2009-12. In the Britons’ inaugural season, she piloted the team to a sixth-place finish in the Midwest Women’s Lacrosse Conference (MWLC) standings. In 2011, Albion was named to the IWLCA Academic Honor Squad, finishing second in the nation among all divisions in team grade-point average (3.51).
As a player, Rutkowski was one of the most prolific offensive players in IUP history. At the time of her graduation, she was the program’s all-time leader in points (192) and assists (58). She also ranked second in goals scored (134).
In her senior season in 2007, Rutkowski was selected to the PSAC First Team after tallying a then-school record 50 goals and 79 points. During the campaign, she also set records for goals in a game (nine), assists in a game (six), and assists in a season (29).
A dual-sport athlete, Rutkowski was also a member of the IUP field hockey program. She was the starting goalkeeper on the Crimson Hawks' 2005 team which qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Rutkowski graduated from IUP in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education. She earned a Master of Science in Recreation and Sport Sciences in 2009 from Ohio University.
Rutkowski is also a Philosophy of Coaching professor in the Physical Education Department at Hartwick.
