Wilson joins Team Canada after a decade coaching in the Spanish hockey program
Field Hockey Canada is thrilled to announce Andrew Wilson as the Head Coach of the Women’s National Team.
Following the hiring of High-Performance Director, Adam Janssen, and Men’s National Team Head Coach, Andre Henning, Field Hockey Canada continues to build out its strong, podium-focused high-performance team. Wilson joins the women’s national team after a historic year that saw Team Canada rocket up the world rankings, earn a silver medal at the Pan American Games and only narrowly miss out on the Tokyo Olympics. Wilson said he’s eager to get down to business with the team.
“My interest in Field Hockey Canada was piqued after seeing how much the women’s national team improved their game from the beginning of 2018 right up until their fantastic performance in the Olympic Qualifier, not to mention a stellar result at the last Pan Am Games,” he said. “I foresee potential for an exciting future within the organization and I am very excited to get to work with the players, staff and the greater hockey community in Canada.”
According to Field Hockey Canada CEO, Susan Ahrens, Wilson is an accomplished leader, educator and coach who will be a great fit for a team bursting with potential and energy.
“First of all, I would like to thank Patrick Tshutshani for his leadership of the program during the last 6 months,” Ahrens said. “I am sure that Patrick, like everyone at FHC, is looking forward to working with Andrew. There is no doubt in my mind that this coaching team has exceptional talent and is an ambitious leadership capable of achieving world level podium success we are all driving toward.”
“I foresee potential for an exciting future within the organization and I am very excited to get to work with the players, staff and the greater hockey community in Canada.”
Originally from the UK, Wilson has the bulk of his playing experience in England and Spain. Likewise, with his coaching resume, he recently made a significant impact as the assistant coach of the Spanish National Women’s Team, highlighted by a bronze medal finish at the 2018 Women’s World Cup. With Wilson on the coaching staff, Spain advanced from 15th in the world to seventh. Wilson is excited to bring his experience in program building and high-performance coaching to Canada and is excited to take on this next chapter in his coaching career.
“The day can’t come soon enough when we get on to the pitch for the first time. So far, I have been getting to know the different members of staff and I am looking forward to connecting one-on-one with the players before coming out to Canada and putting our words into actions on the field,” Wilson said. “I am extremely grateful to Patrick [Tshutshani] for the work he has been doing with the senior and NextGEN athletes.”
Wilson has coaching experience working with international athletes of all ages, both on the men’s and women’s side. That versatility will be celebrated and relied on as he becomes part of the Field Hockey Canada family. As the High-Performance Director, Janssen said he’s thrilled to have people like Wilson on board and looks forward to the on- and off-field success that Wilson will bring.
“I am thrilled to have Andrew joining the leadership team at Field Hockey Canada. He brings an extremely strong performance record to the group and will be an immediate asset to the Women’s National Team on their World Cup and Olympic journeys,” Janssen said. “Andrew has a strong understanding of what it takes to win at the international level, and he brings a strong track record of international results combined with a clearly defined leadership style and understanding of the game.”
Wilson is finishing his work-term in Spain before traveling to meet the athletes in Canada. Despite the uncertainty of upcoming international travel and tournaments, the team is building towards qualifying events and the 2022 World Cup.
Field Hockey Canada will continue to work with all stakeholders to strengthen the Canadian hockey system. This new look coaching team, under Adam Janssen and with the support of the Government of Canada performance partner, Own The Podium, will bring about both short term success as well as long term system change to ensure Canada can achieve sustained — and sustainable — world level podium success.
Media Contacts
Kevin Underhill – Communications Manager
kunderhill@fieldhockey.ca
Grace Li – Marketing and Communications Coordinator
graceli@fieldhockey.ca
