Hello President Wingard, Coach Dunphy, and Dr. Clark,

We write to you today as a group of Temple alumni, players, and parents, as well as others in the field hockey community. 

The news of Susan Ciufo-Bennet’s sudden resignation one week before preseason was shocking. She joined Temple field hockey in January of 2019, just over two years ago. We are disappointed, distressed, and frustrated. As the news spread, we have collected a significant number of concerns over how this situation was handled and its impact on both the immediate and long term sustainability of the field hockey program.  

This resignation has sent shockwaves through the field hockey community. Women who have committed to playing Temple field hockey now have their lives up in the air. Parents who have made plans with their daughters are reconsidering their decisions. Alumni who were enjoying Susan’s dedication, energy, and coaching abilities are now worried about the future of their alma mater, and others in the hockey community are now looking at Temple as untrustworthy and will not likely recommend the school to aspiring student-athletes or consider it a good place to work as a coach or support staff. 

Overall, this decision indicates a lack of investment in the program. The Temple athletics department doesn’t seem to be cultivating and nurturing in its long term growth. It is a well known fact that programs thrive with consistency, but Temple field hockey coaches keep resigning. This increasingly noticeable pattern tells us that there must be more to it than a coach simply moving on. This will not only affect attracting high quality staff, moving forward, it is also worrisome for recruiting talented student-athletes. 

Based on the recent events, we feel that we must ask you to:

1- come to a mutual agreement that reinstates Susan Ciufo-Bennett as the head coach with a (5) year contract and the resources to maintain her current staff 
2- provide our community with a 2-5 year strategic plan with clearly defined resources on how you plan to support and build the program

Please do what is right for the long term health and success of the field hockey program. 

Respectfully, 

Alumni, Players, Friends, and Family of the Temple Field Hockey Program