Plymouth State University

Diehl was much more than just a field hockey coach, but her accomplishments on the field were especially noteworthy. Over her 16 seasons patrolling the sidelines, Diehl amassed 120 wins while making eight postseason appearances. She captained the team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1984 and captured the program's first ECAC Championship three years later.
 
A staunch advocate for intercollegiate athletics, and women's sports in particular, Diehl was also a professor in Plymouth State's Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, where she eventually became a department chair. But more importantly, Diehl was a pioneer, trailblazer and mentor for the many young women who came to know her.
 
Diehl took over as head field hockey coach for the 1973 season in just the sixth year of the program. She guided the team to a 13-12-4 mark over three years before stepping aside for a year. She returned as head coach in 1977 and would hold the post until her retirement from coaching following the 1989 season.
 
Diehl's first team had no formal uniforms, minimal equipment, no assistant coach or junior varsity program, a tiny budget and only a seven-game schedule with no provision for any postseason play. Just six short years later, Diehl's 1979 the team went 9-6-2 and earned a spot in the Eastern Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (EAIAW) postseason tournament for the first time. Although the Panthers lost an overtime contest to C.W. Post (2-1), Diehl had raised expectations and Plymouth State field hockey would become a regular postseason participant.
 
The team reached double digit wins and made return trips to the EAIAW Tournament each of the next two years, going a combined 20-4-8. In 1981, the NCAA sponsored its first Division III Field Hockey Championship all but erasing the EAIAW, but Plymouth State was back in the postseason in 1983 with an appearance in the ECAC New England Tournament, before rolling to a 14-1 record and the team's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1984. Diehl piloted the Panthers back to the ECAC Tournament again in 1985, 1986 and 1987, culminating in the program's first ECAC New England title in 1987 with a final record of 11-5-1.
 
Her tireless work behind the scenes helped female athletes at Plymouth State realize the opportunities promised by Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972, while her PhD work qualified her to appear as a witness in court regarding some Title IX disputes in New Hampshire.
 
A native of Manheim, Pa., Diehl received the Theo Kalikow Award from Plymouth State in 1998 as "a faculty or staff member who has significantly contributed to the advancement of women's issues." In 2009, the Athletic Department established the Dorothy "Dot" Diehl Award to honor her legacy of contributions to women's sports and physical education at Plymouth State. The award is presented annually to a female student-athlete who exhibits leadership for the advancement of women's equality in sports and physical education, strength of character and a sense of responsibility to others.