ST. LOUIS – Laura Hurff, who served the 2025 season as Saint Louis' interim field hockey head coach, has officially been named head coach of the Billikens' program.

Hurff, who won a national championship as a player at Syracuse in 2015, was hired at SLU last August and guided the Billikens to five wins, including a historic victory at eventual Atlantic 10 regular-season champion Richmond.

"We are proud to announce Laura Hurff as the head field hockey coach for the Billikens," SLU Director of Athletics Chris May said. "Laura has brought a high level of positive energy and focus to the program, which has produced significant progress in a short period of time. Laura has a fantastic feel for the game and the ability to lead our program to a high level of competitive success. Her work this fall showed that she has the skills to be a special leader for the Billikens."

"I'm honored to continue leading Billiken Field Hockey," Hurff said. "This past season, our team showed what can happen when a group commits to something bigger than themselves. We set new standards, earned historic wins, and built a foundation rooted in heart, excellence, and resilience. Those pillars became our identity and they will continue to guide us as we build the legacy of this program."

The 2025 Billikens finished the year 5-10 overall, just the fourth time in the last 20 years they reached five wins on the season. The Billikens' conference win was a 2-1 triumph at Richmond, the program's first-ever win against the Spiders and SLU's first A-10 road win since 2007. SLU was the only team in the league to defeat Richmond in the regular season. The Bills were alive for an A-10 Field Hockey Championship berth up until the final A-10 match of the season. It would have been SLU's first-ever appearance in the postseason tournament.

Four Billikens earned Atlantic 10 Conference postseason honors, the most since 2005. Olivia Smith was named second-team All-Conference, while Macy Budd was named to the league's All-Rookie Team. The Billikens also placed a program-record three student-athletes on the league's All-Academic team – Sierra Larson, Olivia Smith and Abby Vidas. Billiken keeper Abby Schalow had another impressive season in the cage, earning three A-10 Defensive Player of the Week awards.

"We have a special group returning and we are focused on bringing in the right people who want to add to this legacy and further raise the bar for SLU Field Hockey," Hurff said. "Our culture became our competitive edge and we will keep protecting it, growing it, and pouring into the people who wear this jersey.

"The future of this program is incredibly bright," Hurff said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to keep building with this team and to continue shaping a program that competes with purpose, embraces the hard work, and leaves the jersey in a better place for the Billikens who come after us."

After her stellar playing career at Syracuse, Hurff served assistant coaching stints at Cornell (2019) and Stanford (2021). In 2024, she was the interim head coach at Rhodes College, a Division III institution in Memphis. Hurff guided the Lynx to a 14-6 overall record and a 5-0 conference mark, advancing to the championship match in the Collegiate Field Hockey Conference Tournament. She earned Coach of the Year honors in the CFHC and mentored the league's Defensive Player of the Year and Goalie of the Year. 

An accomplished player in her own right, Hurff was a four-year starter at Syracuse from 2014-17. The three-time All-American helped the Orange win the 2015 NCAA Field Hockey Championship. Hurff accumulated 55 points (20G, 15A) during her Syracuse career.

Hurff also competed with the United States National Team, representing the U.S. in 32 international matches. She was a member of the U-21 USWNT that earned the silver medal in the Junior Pan-American Games. 

Hurff earned a B.S. in Health & Exercise Science from Syracuse in 2018 and an MBA from DeVry University in 2022.