Chester County Sports Hall of Fame

It would be impossible to chronicle the history of girls' athletics at West Chester East High School without starting and ending with Diane Horsey. And now Horsey's long coaching career is being punctuated with her induction into the Chester County Sports Hall of Fame.

"I am very humbled by this whole thing," Horsey acknowledged. "I know that a lot of wonderful coaches and athletes are already in the hall of fame."

A teacher in the West Chester School District for nearly 36 years when she retired in 2011, Horsey had a far-reaching, milestone-filled career as a coach in both field hockey and lacrosse.

"I coached every year I was teaching," said Horsey, who ended up putting in 38 seasons as a head coach, and amassing a staggering 485 victories. In all, Horsey led the Vikings to a combined 14 Ches-Mont League championships, six district crowns and was named coach of the year 13 times.

"I was blessed with a lot of talent over the years," Horsey said. "I've had a lot of wonderful and supportive parents and administrators. And I've been lucky to have an opportunity to coach so many outstanding athletes over the years, and to work with so many excellent assistant coaches." A three-sport star at Downingtown High and West Chester State, Horsey's coaching career began in 1977 at the junior high level. By 1984, she was the head coach at East in both field hockey and lacrosse, and the following year the Vikings captured the state field hockey title. It is still the only girls' team state championship ever captured at East.

"I always tried to create a family setting while establishing a program," Horsey said. It also didn't take long for Horsey to make her mark in lacrosse. The Vikings won back-to-back District 1 titles in 1989 and 1990, when there was no state tournament and the winners were considered the state champion. In all, Horsey was the head lacrosse coach for 11 seasons, built a 141-56-12 record and captured five Ches-Mont crowns before stepping down in 1995.

"The only reason I gave up coaching lacrosse was because I didn't want to miss seeing my son (Bobby) play lacrosse in high school," said Horsey, who logged 19 seasons splitting her time between two sports.

Horsey stayed on in field hockey for a total of 27 seasons with 2010 being her last, and her 346-193-43 career record represents a winning percentage of .631. Her teams were Ches-Mont champs nine times, District 1 titlists four times and she was a nine-time coach of the year selection.

"I had such an awesome experience being mentored by some outstanding coaches in high school and college, and I just wanted to share my experience with students," Horsey said when asked about her longevity. "That's what kept me in it so long."

A tireless advocate for girls' athletics, Horsey was a PIAA basketball referee for 23 years. She is currently in her 15th year as an official in lacrosse and recently added field hockey to the list.