Missy Foote, is now in her 38th and final year on the Middlebury athletic staff and her 33rd season as head coach of women’s lacrosse. Her squads have won five NCAA Championships since 1997, including four perfect seasons (1999, 2001, 2002, 2004). The Panthers made 14-straight trips to the final four from 1994-2007 and have appeared in eight NCAA title games. Middlebury has won seven NESCAC Championships, appearing in the conference title game nine times. From 1997-2004, the Panthers lost just seven games, earning an overall mark of 131-7 en route to their five national titles. Prior to NCAA play, she guided the Panthers to two ECAC Championships and has an overall record of 406-110-1. Her career wins are second all-time among Division III coaches, while she ranks third among coaches throughout all divisions.
Foote was named the 1994, 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2002 Division III New England and National Women’s Lacrosse Coach of the Year. She earned NESCAC Coach of the Year honors from 2001-2005, while being named the Regional Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2013.
Foote was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2012, further solidifying her impact on the sport. She is also a member of the U.S. Lacrosse Vermont and New England Halls of Fame as well as the Ward Melville High School Hall of Fame. Aside from coaching, Foote has also served as Assistant Coach for the U.S. Women’s Developmental Team and was a member of the NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Committee. She has also been part of the IWLCA All-American committee and has served on the Tewaaraton Committee. In her time at Middlebury, she has served as the director of physical education, as well as head coach of women’s basketball and swimming.
The 2001 season marked Foote’s 21st and final year as head coach of the field hockey program at Middlebury. She ended her career with a record of 180-95-12 for a .648 winning percentage. Her most successful season came in 1998 when she led the team to a 17-1 record and its first NCAA Championship. She led the team to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1994 and 1996. During her reign, the team made six ECAC Tournament appearances and captured a pair of ECAC crowns in 1993 and 1997. She was named the Division III Regional and National Coach of the Year in 1994 and 1998.
A 1974 Springfield College graduate, Foote coached field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse at Green Mountain Union High School in Chester, Vermont, before joining the Middlebury staff in 1977. She is also a member of the Springfield College Hall of Fame.