Karen Nell

Karen Nell is the Head Field Hockey Coach at the University of Saint Joseph.

Before coming to USJ Nell racked up a 13-year record of 148-76-24 as the head field hockey coach at New Fairfield High School. She led the Rebels to the 2008 Class S State Championship, 12 state and SWC play-off appearances as well as being named the News Times Coach of the Year. Nell has also successfully helped establish a youth field hockey program, and runs camps in conjunction with World Camp USA in New Fairfield.

For the last seven seasons Nell has been the head coach of the girl's lacrosse team. Nell was extremely successful at New Fairfield, winning three-straight Class S State Championships in girl's lacrosse from 2017-2019, and back-to-back South-West Conference Championships in 2018 and 2019. In seven seasons, she compiled a record of 124-32, and was named Connecticut Class S Coach of the Year following the 2018 season.

Nell also spent a season coaching at the collegiate level as the assistant women's lacrosse coach at Division III and intrastate opponent Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) in 2015. There, she helped guide the Colonials to the second round of the Little East Conference (LEC) Tournament, a 10-8 overall record, and a 4-2 mark in the LEC. It marked just the fourth winning season in WCSU program history since the school started sponsoring women's lacrosse in 2000.

Nell attended Boston College on a field hockey scholarship, but an injury prematurely ended her playing career. She went on to earn her associate's degree in physical therapy from Housatonic Community College, before obtaining a bachelor's degree in psychology from Charter Oak State University.