As the SUNY Cortland field hockey and women's lacrosse coach from 1981 to 1996, Patricia Rudy annually produced winning teams in both sports and, in 1993 and 1994, directed the Red Dragons to consecutive NCAA Division III field hockey championships. In field hockey, Rudy had an impressive combined record of 217 wins, 67 losses and 13 ties. In the 15 years since the first NCAA Division III Championship, her Cortland teams were invited to 12 playoffs, finishing third in 1989 and fourth in 1988.
Cortland won an unprecedented seven New York State titles between 1986 and 1994 and captured all three league titles when the SUNYAC briefly sponsored a field hockey crown in the mid-1980's. Rudy was voted the NCAA Division III Field Hockey National Coach of the Year in 1993 and was a two-time Mid-Atlantic Region and New York State Coach of the Year. She served on the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Committee for eight years. In May 1996, Rudy coached the SUNY Cortland field hockey team against Australian squads during a two-week trip to that continent.
In women's lacrosse, Rudy's teams posted 141 wins against 66 losses and never had a losing season, which was all the more impressive because many of the athletes were taught the sport at SUNY Cortland by Rudy. Her lacrosse squads competed in national tournaments annually between 1982 and 1986. Her 1985 unit finished 15-2 and second in the nation.
A native of Manheim, Pa., Rudy earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Lock Haven State University and a master's in physical education from Illinois State University. After graduating from Lock Haven, Rudy worked as a career counselor at Cocalico High in Lancaster, Pa. She was head field hockey coach at Franklin & Marshall University during the 1978 season and at Illinois State University from 1979-81.
For many years, Rudy coached field hoceky teams in the Empire State Games. A standout field hockey and lacrosse player at Lock Haven, Rudy continues to compete in field hockey for the Lancaster-based Red Rose team. She also traveled to England and Scotland as a member of the U.S. Women's Lacrosse Association. Rudy, who joined the SUNY Cortland Physical Education Department faculty in 1981, returned to her alma mater in Fall 1996 as head field hockey and assistant women's lacrosse coach.
