By Elizabeth Parent ’25
The Frederick Gunn School hired Division 1 Field Hockey coach, Ms. Colleen Quinn Fink, as the school’s new athletic director, bringing fifteen years of NCAA Division 1 coaching experience onto campus to help elevate and accelerate the student athletic experience.
Fink recently completed her fifteenth year as the Head Field Hockey Coach at the University of Pennsylvania. During Fink’s coaching career at UPENN, she recruited and coached 43 All-Ivy league players. As well as two Ivy League Rookies of the Year and 14 Academic All-Ivy players. Fink was looking for a new type of leadership role, as she had spent the last fifteen years in the same position.
The Frederick Gunn School opened the position of Athletic Director after former athletic director, Michael Marich, retired. Marich served in this position from 2016 until spring of 2025. During this time, the Frederick Gunn School’s athletic program has thrived. Many of our teams, including ice hockey, and field hockey have gone on to represent the Highlanders NEPSAC postseason tournaments.
Coming from a Division 1 Ivy League school, Fink brings a new level of expertise onto campus. Students have already noticed Fink’s exuberance cheering on the field hockey team and supporting the coaches and referees from the side lines. However, Fink’s love for sports does not just stop at field hockey, as she is seen at many of the home games for other Gunn teams.
When asked about her hopes for the future of The Frederick Gunn School’s athletic program, Fink said, “My biggest thing that’s going to be the most impactful for the students is creating a sense of pride, belonging, and fun through co-curricular activities.” Now that the fall term is underway, we are already seeing a high number of students coming onto the sidelines and cheering each other on, one of Fink’s main goals.
