Tara Danielson Position: Head Coach Experience: 2nd season Alma Mater: Massachusetts (1994)

In just her first season on The Farm, head coach Tara Danielson guided Stanford to one of its finest seasons in school history while building upon the success of one of the nation's elite programs.

Stanford's winningest first-year head coach, Danielson led Stanford to a 15-6 overall record in 2010, with the 15 victories ranking as the third-most in school history, trailing only a record-setting 17-win campaign in 2009 and a 16-6 performance in 1997.

Danielson's first season resulted in Stanford's 10th NCAA Tournament appearance and third postseason trip over the last four years overall. Building on a reputation as one of the country's fast-rising programs, Danielson's squad remained a fixture in the national rankings for all but one week of the season. The Cardinal also solidified its status as a conference powerhouse, capturing its fourth straight NorPac Tournament championship to qualify for another NCAA Play-In game.

Meanwhile, Stanford displayed a newfound ability to win games away from home while remaining competitive against elite-level opponents. Danielson's club made noticeable strides in games played away from the Varsity Turf, finishing 11-4 overall (6-3 road, 5-1 neutral) in those contests. Meanwhile, a 4-2 road upset of No. 8 Wake Forest in late September proved to be a signature victory for Stanford, defeating its highest-ranked opponent since shocking No. 3 Michigan State in 2001. Three other matchups against teams ranked in the top-10 resulted in one-goal defeats, including a hard-fought 2-1 loss at No. 1 North Carolina in the regular season.

Several players experienced unprecedented success under Danielson, whose team-oriented philosophy translated into a balanced offensive attack in which 18 players appeared in at least one game, 15 scored at least one goal and 16 registered at least one point. Senior Xanthe Travlos was named an All-American for the second straight season while also repeating as NorPac Player of the Year. Sophomore Becky Dru continued her progression as one of nation's best underclassmen with team-high totals in goals (13), assists (10), points (36) and shots (88). Finally, Stanford once again dominated the NorPac, as evidenced by a conference-best seven all-league selections.

Danielson was announced as the program's sixth head coach on July 13, 2010. In addition to enjoying an extensive international playing career, Danielson has developed a reputation as a pioneer within the field hockey community through her efforts on the developmental level while implementing several successful outreach programs.

Tara Danielson led Stanford to a 15-6 finish in 2010, becoming the program's winningest first-year head coach.

"Tara's commitment to development within her sport and infectious enthusiasm make her a great fit at Stanford and we are excited to have her on board," said Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics Bob Bowlsby. "In addition to her high-energy approach and innovative coaching and training philosophies, we are looking forward to Tara's leadership of our field hockey program and remain equally confident she can continue to build on our success while enhancing our reputation as one of the fast-rising programs in the nation."

Since 2005, Danielson has served as the Chief Executive Officer of RUSH Field Hockey, Inc., a non-profit public benefit corporation committed to the development of field hockey in California. As CEO, Danielson's primary focus included grassroots development and generating community programs that encourage leadership and participation. During her five-year involvement with RUSH, the organization grew from 30 members to over 700, capturing national titles in the California Cup, Festival and National Indoor Tournament.

Danielson was a member of the USA Field Hockey National Team, training and competing at the Olympic level from 1998-2005 while participating in 89 international contests during that span. In addition to representing Team USA at international events such as the Pan American Games, World Cup and Olympic Qualifier, Danielson was also a member of Team USA's National Indoor Field Hockey squad for two seasons (2005-06).

Following stops as an assistant coach at Boston College in 1996 and Connecticut in 1998, Danielson served as the head coach of Sacred Heart during the 2000 campaign.

A native of Greenfield, Mass., Tara Jelley graduated from Massachusetts in 1994 with a degree in sport management. A four-year letterwinner in field hockey and team captain during her senior year, she helped guide the Minutewomen to a pair of Atlantic 10 championships and four NCAA Tournament berths, including a record-breaking 1992 campaign that resulted in a trip to the national semifinals and the program's winningest season in school history.

Danielson was a three-sport standout at Greenfield High School, leading the Green Wave to a Massachusetts state championship in field hockey while also competing in basketball and softball.

Danielson received her master's degree from Springfield College in athletic administration in 1999.

Danielson and her husband, Steve, a member of the 1996 USA Olympic Field Hockey team, were married on Apr. 7, 2006. The couple has a daughter.