Briana Banks

Briana Banks

Briana Banks is entering her ninth year as head coach for the Maroons' Field Hockey team.

Banks has helped spearhead a resurgence of the Maroon program, leading RC to four consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1995-2004.

Last season, RC had 12 wins and made its second straight appearance in the ODAC semifinals. In 2017, Roanoke capped the year with its most wins since the 2002 season and its 14 victories tied for the second most in school history. RC also won its first ODAC Tournament game since 2004.

In 2016, Banks and the Maroons posted 11 wins, marking the first time since 2004, RC recorded consecutive seasons with 10 or more wins.

Banks guided the Maroons to 11 wins in 2015 which was the first double-digit win total for RC since 2004. 

Prior to Roanoke, Banks landed a collegiate job as the assistant field hockey coach at Muhlenberg College in 2007. Her first year saw the Mules finish 8-10, 4-6 in the Centennial Conference. They won four-straight and five of their last six heading into the final week of the season with a .500 mark. Their final two defeats were against teams ranked #3 and #17 in the NFHCA national poll. Their winning streak was highlighted by a 1-0 upset over then-ranked #6 Johns Hopkins.

Prior to her collegiate coaching career, Banks served as a varsity coach at Pennridge High School in Pennsylvania, where she took a 3-17 team her first year to an 8-8-2 record two years later. In 2004, she moved on to be the varsity field hockey head coach and a health and physical education teacher at Palmerton High School in Pennsylvania; she started indoor and middle school field hockey programs there.

A 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, Banks was a four-year starter on the field hockey team. She was a member of the ECAC Championship team as a freshman; she received the America East Rookie of the Week Award in 1996. As a junior, she helped lead the Black Bears as high as 16th in the national rankings. She received the Scholar-Athlete Achievement Award and was a member of the America East Honor Roll during her final two years. As a senior, Banks was selected team captain at defender.  Banks concluded her career as part of the NFHCA Division I North/South Senior All-Star Team in 1999.

Banks graduated with a degree in kinesiology and physical education from the University of Maine in 2000. Banks made the dean’s list and won the Presidential Academic Achievement Award following her senior year.

Banks resides in Roanoke with her husband, Roanoke Head Men’s Soccer Coach Ryan Pflugrad.