BEVERLY, Mass. — The Conference of New England is proud to announce that Johnson & Wales Women's Hockey Head Coach Maddy Santore and Gordon College Softball Head Coach Lily Rivera have been selected to participate in the 2026 WeCOACH-NCAA Women Coaches Academy.

The Women Coaches Academy, hosted by WeCOACH in partnership with the NCAA, is one of the nation’s premier leadership development programs for women coaches across all levels of collegiate athletics. The academy provides participants with professional growth opportunities focused on leadership, communication, career advancement, and mentorship.

Santore and Rivera will participate in the upcoming academy sessions held May 17-20 in Denver, Colorado, joining coaches from across the country for the nationally recognized program.

“We are incredibly proud of Maddy and Lily for earning this opportunity to participate in the WeCOACH-NCAA Women Coaches Academy,” said Julie Beer, Commissioner of the Conference of New England. “Both coaches represent the strong leadership, commitment to student-athlete development, and passion for collegiate athletics that continue to define the CNE and Division III experience.”

The Conference of New England was among the conference sponsors supporting the academy and its mission to advance women in coaching and athletic leadership roles. According to WeCOACH, the 2026 academy classes feature participants from across NCAA Divisions I, II, III, NAIA, and junior college athletics.

Founded in 2015, WeCOACH is dedicated to recruiting, advancing, and retaining women coaches through year-round professional growth opportunities and leadership programming.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE OF NEW ENGLAND
Originally founded in 1984 as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), and reconstituted as the Conference of New England (CNE) in 2024, the CNE is an NCAA Division III athletic conference composed of 11 full member and five associate member institutions throughout the New England region. Its membership aims to provide student-athletes with a positive experience in their pursuit of excellence through high academic standards, quality competition and a meaningful student life. The Conference administers championships in 21 intercollegiate sports.