Former Hawkeye Jess Barnett joins Iowa field hockey coaching staff

Jess Barnett was a two-time All-American for the Hawkeyes from 2009-12.

Hawkeyes+celebrate+their+first+point+during+a+field+hockey+game+between+Iowa+and+Michigan+at+Grant+Field+on+Saturday%2C+March+15%2C+2021.+The+Hawkeyes+defeated+the+Wolverines%2C+2-1%2C+in+a+shootout.

Jeff Sigmund

Hawkeyes celebrate their first point during a field hockey game between Iowa and Michigan at Grant Field on Saturday, March 15, 2021. The Hawkeyes defeated the Wolverines, 2-1, in a shootout.

Chloe Peterson, Summer Sports Editor


Iowa field hockey added former Hawkeye Jess Barnett as an assistant coach, the athletic department announced Friday.

Barnett played at Iowa from 2009-12, garnering two National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-American honors. She was also a regional All-American, a three-time All-Big Ten honoree, and a Big Ten All-Tournament selection during her collegiate career.

She started every Hawkeye field hockey game from 2009-2012, while also being a team captain for two years and team MVP her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.

Barnett registered 27 goals and seven assists in 77 career games on the Hawkeye defense.

This is her second stint as a Hawkeye coach — she worked on the Iowa field hockey coaching staff as a volunteer assistant from 2015-16.

“I am so excited to have Jess return to Iowa and join our coaching staff,” head coach Lisa Cellucci said in a release. “I can’t say enough about her. She was an unbelievable student-athlete during her time here and embodied all it meant to be a member of the Iowa field hockey program. Through her experiences of playing at the highest level with the Canadian National Team as well as being the top assistant at Yale for the last five years Jess will bring a great perspective to our group, her character is impeccable, and she is a tremendous role model. She understands the championship culture of the Iowa field hockey program and we can’t wait for her to get started.” 

The Vancouver, Canada, native played on the Canadian National Team after college and won the 2013 Pan American Cup in Argentina. 

Barnett began her coaching career in 2014 with Field Hockey Canada as an assistant in their Junior National Program. 

Her first position as an assistant coach came with the Yale Bulldogs from 2016-21. In her first season at Yale, she helped the Bulldogs double their win total from 2015-16. The Bulldogs did not play a 2020-21 season as the Ivy League canceled all fall sports because of COVID-19.