Week 2 Open the Gate Honoree: Jen Averill
9/5/2023 12:29:00 PM | Field Hockey, Football
The legendary Wake Forest Field Hockey coach is in the midst of her 32nd season with the university.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Jen Averill, the head coach of Wake Forest Field Hockey and three-time national champion, will lead the Demon Deacon football team onto the field this Saturday, Sept. 9, against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The game is set for an 11 a.m. kickoff at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium.
In her 32nd year at the helm of the field hockey program, Averill holds a 413-226-3 record and has built the Wake Forest program into a national powerhouse. In 2002, she led the Deacs to the first national championship by a women's athletic program at Wake Forest. She then followed that up with two more national titles in 2003 and 2004. Wake Forest is just one of three schools to accomplish the three-peat (North Carolina and Old Dominion). In addition to the three national titles, Wake Forest finished runner-up in 2006 and 2008. She also has four ACC titles to her name, with her most recent coming in 2014.
This weekend, the field hockey program is honoring the three-peat 2002, 2003 and 2004 national championship teams in its match against App State on Sunday, Sept. 10. The match is slated to start at 12 p.m. at Kentner Stadium.
The ACC recognized Averill's continual improvement with her eight ACC Coach of the Year awards, including her most recent honor after the 2022 regular season season.
Additionally, Averill's squad has been selected to the national tournament 18 times during her tenure, with the most recent selection coming in 2022. Last season, Averill led the Deacs to 15 wins for the first time since 2008 with an overall record of 15-4 and outscoring opponents 51-20. Wake Forest defeated three top-10 teams during the regular season. Off the field, Wake Forest placed a program-record 16 Demon Deacons on the All-ACC Academic team.
In January of 2010, Averill was inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Prior to Averill's arrival in Winston-Salem, Wake Forest had never played in an NCAA postseason game. The Deacons enjoyed 12-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1999-2010, including nine-consecutive Final Four appearances.
Before she was a coach, she was a four-time All-American at Northwestern. As a senior in 1987, she earned the prestigious Honda Broderick Award as the nation's best field hockey player.
Also in 1987, Averill won the Big Ten's Medal of Honor for academic excellence and the Jesse Owens Award as the conference's best athlete. In 1989, Averill was honored by Northwestern as the University's Female Athlete of the Decade for the 1980s.
Averill competed in two Final Fours as a Wildcat and from 1983 to 1987 and played on the U.S. National Team. She was inducted into the Northwestern Hall of Fame in September of 1996.
Averill and her wife, Karen, have a son, Nicolas, and a daughter, Gianna.
Averill's Honors
Inducted into the NFHCA Hall of Fame
2010
NCAA Championships (3)
2002, 2003, 2004
NCAA Semifinal Appearances (10)
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2018
NCAA Tournament Appearances (18)
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022
ACC Championships (4)
2002, 2003, 2006, 2014
ACC Regular Season Championships (4)
2002, 2003, 2005, 2006
National Coach of the Year (3)
2002, 2003, 2004
ACC Coach of the Year (8)
1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2014, 2022
Patriot League Coach of the Year (1)
1991
NFHCA South Region Coach of the Year (4)
1999, 2002, 2003, 2006
Open the Gate Information & 2023 Honorees
The Open the Gate tradition has been an important and unique aspect of football games since its inception in 2008. This allows Wake Forest to honor individuals that make its University and Winston-Salem community so special. Honorees ride on the back of the motorcycle with the Demon Deacon mascot and lead the football team onto Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. The first ever honoree was Wake Forest and Winston-Salem legend, Chris Paul.
Week 1 vs. Elon: Cathy Pace
Week 2 vs. Vanderbilt: Jen Averill
In her 32nd year at the helm of the field hockey program, Averill holds a 413-226-3 record and has built the Wake Forest program into a national powerhouse. In 2002, she led the Deacs to the first national championship by a women's athletic program at Wake Forest. She then followed that up with two more national titles in 2003 and 2004. Wake Forest is just one of three schools to accomplish the three-peat (North Carolina and Old Dominion). In addition to the three national titles, Wake Forest finished runner-up in 2006 and 2008. She also has four ACC titles to her name, with her most recent coming in 2014.
This weekend, the field hockey program is honoring the three-peat 2002, 2003 and 2004 national championship teams in its match against App State on Sunday, Sept. 10. The match is slated to start at 12 p.m. at Kentner Stadium.
The ACC recognized Averill's continual improvement with her eight ACC Coach of the Year awards, including her most recent honor after the 2022 regular season season.
Additionally, Averill's squad has been selected to the national tournament 18 times during her tenure, with the most recent selection coming in 2022. Last season, Averill led the Deacs to 15 wins for the first time since 2008 with an overall record of 15-4 and outscoring opponents 51-20. Wake Forest defeated three top-10 teams during the regular season. Off the field, Wake Forest placed a program-record 16 Demon Deacons on the All-ACC Academic team.
In January of 2010, Averill was inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Prior to Averill's arrival in Winston-Salem, Wake Forest had never played in an NCAA postseason game. The Deacons enjoyed 12-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1999-2010, including nine-consecutive Final Four appearances.
Before she was a coach, she was a four-time All-American at Northwestern. As a senior in 1987, she earned the prestigious Honda Broderick Award as the nation's best field hockey player.
Also in 1987, Averill won the Big Ten's Medal of Honor for academic excellence and the Jesse Owens Award as the conference's best athlete. In 1989, Averill was honored by Northwestern as the University's Female Athlete of the Decade for the 1980s.
Averill competed in two Final Fours as a Wildcat and from 1983 to 1987 and played on the U.S. National Team. She was inducted into the Northwestern Hall of Fame in September of 1996.
Averill and her wife, Karen, have a son, Nicolas, and a daughter, Gianna.
Averill's Honors
Inducted into the NFHCA Hall of Fame
2010
NCAA Championships (3)
2002, 2003, 2004
NCAA Semifinal Appearances (10)
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2018
NCAA Tournament Appearances (18)
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022
ACC Championships (4)
2002, 2003, 2006, 2014
ACC Regular Season Championships (4)
2002, 2003, 2005, 2006
National Coach of the Year (3)
2002, 2003, 2004
ACC Coach of the Year (8)
1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2014, 2022
Patriot League Coach of the Year (1)
1991
NFHCA South Region Coach of the Year (4)
1999, 2002, 2003, 2006
Open the Gate Information & 2023 Honorees
The Open the Gate tradition has been an important and unique aspect of football games since its inception in 2008. This allows Wake Forest to honor individuals that make its University and Winston-Salem community so special. Honorees ride on the back of the motorcycle with the Demon Deacon mascot and lead the football team onto Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. The first ever honoree was Wake Forest and Winston-Salem legend, Chris Paul.
Week 1 vs. Elon: Cathy Pace
Week 2 vs. Vanderbilt: Jen Averill
Wake Forest Postgame Press Conference vs. Virginia (Nov. 8, 2025)
Sunday, November 09
Wake Forest Men's Basketball Highlights vs Morehead State (Nov. 7, 2025)
Saturday, November 08
Wake Forest vs Virginia | Trailer
Saturday, November 08
Wake Forest Women's Basketball Highlights vs Presbyterian (Nov. 6, 2025)
Friday, November 07