Maureen Noone has built a dynasty at Andover field hockey — there is no disputing that.
Led by head coach Noone, the Golden Warriors locked down their second straight Division 1 field hockey state title in the fall, their fifth state crown in Noone’s 25-year tenure.
But it isn’t all about titles or even victories — of which there are nearly 400 — for Noone.
“I feel like I hit the jackpot playing for coach Noone,” said former Andover High standout Taylor Ferris (AHS, 2011). “She was the coach I really needed during those (high school) ages. She embodied the term ‘coach,’ always knowing how to inspire me and push me to be the best player and teammate I could be. I’m very thankful for all she did for me and the women who have played for her.”
For her success on the field, and what she has done for countless athletes off the field, Noone is our 2022 Eagle-Tribune Sportsman of the Year.
“I’m very caught off guard by the honor,” said the 59-year-old Noone, who lives in Rowley. “I’ve been lucky to have worked with the most amazing coaching staffs and amazing athletes over the years. I have had so many fantastic people around me, it has made this so much fun. I’m obviously humbled because there are so many that deserve it.”
Those that have played for her, coached with her or even been around her left no doubt that Noone is deserving of the honor.
“Coach Noone has shaped me not just as a player, but also as a person,” said Andover High senior Rose MacLean, a key piece of the last two championships. “I came into high school as an amateur field hockey player. It was not my main sport, and I was not confident in my abilities.
“Throughout the years that I have played, coach Noone built me up from the bottom by improving me every year. She helped me go from a timid freshman, to a senior captain of a state championship winning team. She truly cares about her players and wants the best for each one of them.”
That sentiment is shared by so many that have suited up for the Golden Warriors since Noone took over the program in 1998.
“I admire the way she holds such high expectations for her players while also showing the utmost support and love,” said former Andover field hockey great Tori Roche (AHS, 2015). “She instills a confidence in which players believe they can be great and can achieve whatever they put their minds to through old-fashioned hard work.
“I think what amazes me most about her is the love and support she shows for her players even beyond their playing days at Andover High School. Throughout my collegiate career she would text me after every game and today as a coach we still do the same.”
COACHING START, FINDING ANDOVER
Noone’s passion of coaching was born by accident while attending Stoneham High (class of 1981).
“While at Stoneham High I broke my collarbone,” remember Noone, who played field hockey, basketball and softball in high school. “I was hanging around the softball team, when the coach said to me, ‘Why not be useful and start helping me as a base coach?’ Then I started helping with the summer league, and it kept going from there. I started working with the middle school program, and that’s where my love of coaching started.”
Noone went on to attend Fitchburg State, where she studied education and special education and also coached intramural leagues.
She then spent three years teaching in Chelsea, before moving to teach in the Wilmington Public Schools, where she remained as a special education teacher until she retired in 2020.
She also officially began her coaching career at Wilmington — coaching softball, basketball and even volleyball as she waited for the field hockey job to open. After three years with Wilmington field hockey, a stroke of luck led her to Andover.
“Jim Tildsley suggested I apply for the Andover job,” said Noone of the now-retired Hall of Fame Andover High girls basketball coach and fellow Wilmington teacher. “I didn’t want to. I loved the Wilmington kids. But Tildsley explained Andover was a sleeper program. It needed a kick-start and the kids would really run and commit. He was right. I told him I would stay for two years, and it’s been 25 amazing years.”
The wins have come in bunches for Noone. She currently holds a 395-57-57 career record at Andover High — including a 51-1-0 mark in the last three years.
Noone’s squads won state championships in 2010, 2011, 2017, 2021 and 2022. They likely would have taken home another crown in 2020, had the state tournament not been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
And along the way, she has impacted many lives in very meaningful ways.
“I feel so grateful to have had coach Noone as a coach,” said former Andover field hockey star Sarah (Oteri) Doucette (AHS, 2010), now a state championship-winning ice hockey coach at Methuen High. “She taught me how to prepare for challenges, rise to high expectations, compete to the best of my ability, successfully be a member of a team, and more. She really leads by example and embodies the culture she has created for Andover field hockey.”
PASSION FOR COACHING
What does Noone love most about coaching?
“Coaching’s not a glamorous job,” she said. “You give up so much time, and you definitely aren’t there for the money. As you get older, the job becomes less intimidating. I really do love coaching. Coaching is the best. You get to meet so many kids, and about 90% really are amazing. It’s so much fun to watch them grow as athlete, then to watch them go onto college and keep growing in life.
“There is a pride factor in this program. The kids we get understand there’s a huge commitment factor. They decide to come out, they feel a connection to the team and they understand what is asked of them. We have had so many great parents that have really been amazing. Kids are going to make mistakes, but they are here for the right reasons.”
Since she is retired as a teacher, how much longer will she be leading the program she has built into a powerhouse?
“I don’t know,” Noone said. “I have a great support staff when that time (to retire) comes. But, right now, coaching is stiff fun. I’m not racing from my job already exhausted. Coaching is something to look forward to. I still love it.”
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