Danielle Aviani was named the seventh head coach in Stonehill field hockey history in July 2022.

Aviani guided Stonehill through its first NCAA Division I season, posting both her first career win and the Skyhawks first Division I win with a 4-3 overtime triumph at Lindenwood (Mo.) University. Stonehill also collected its first Northeast Conference win with a 2-1 double-overtime triumph over Merrimack College in their first Division I game every played at W.B. Mason Stadium. Sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Conte would earn All-NEC honors after recording 163 saves.

Aviani brought five years of Division I coaching experience to Stonehill, the last three years as assistant field hockey coach at Kent State University under head coach Kyle DeSandes-Moyer, serving as goalkeeping specialist. Aviani assisted the Golden Flashes to a 34-18 record over her three seasons, with two Mid-American Conference (MAC) regular season championships. She helped Kent State record four wins over Power-5 programs, coached four National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-West Region selections and 15 All-MAC picks, including the program’s first MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. Aviani was also in charge of offensive coordination of attack line substitutions and small group skills.

Kent State improved each of Aviani’s three years with the program, winning MAC regular season titles in 2019 (with a 5-1 mark) and the 2021 fall season (6-1). The Golden Flashes posted a 12-6 mark last fall, including the 6-1 MAC record, was ranked in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I coaches poll for eight consecutive weeks and posted three wins over nationally ranked opponents, producing the first MAC Defensive Player of the Year in program history. Kent State outscored opponents 46-16 during its 2021 spring season in which it posted an 11-3 record, including 9-3 in the MAC, ranking third nationally in goals per game and scoring average, while ranking fourth in assists and scoring margin.

Additionally, Aviani completed an internship in the Kent State athletics department within Student-Athlete Academic Services as well as International Student and Scholar Services within the Office of Global Education at Kent State.

Prior to joining the coaching staff at Kent State, Aviani spent the 2018-19 academic year at Wagner College, an NEC member, assisting in recruiting and preparing for the Seahawks inaugural varsity season in 2019. She got her collegiate coaching career started with one year at Hofstra University under coach Kathy De Angelis. She completed practice plans, drill setup and student-athlete development, while conducting individual tactical skill sessions, coordinated team travel arrangements and assisted in recruiting for the Pride. Aviani has coached with the USA Futures Program at Columbia University’s Level I site and the Level II site at Kent State. She also gained coaching experience at the club level with Long Island United.

Aviani is a 2017 graduate of the University of Maine, earning a Bachelor of Science degree, and was a four-year member of the Black Bears field hockey program. She earned NFHCA All-Northeast Region honors in 2015 and was selected to the NFHCA Division I Senior All-Star Game in 2016. The two-time All-America East performer also earned a spot on the America East All-Championship team twice. The midfielder finished her collegiate career with 96 points with 38 goals and 20 assists over her 83 career games. She was named to the America East Academic Honor Roll and was a Maine Scholar-Athlete Silver Medalist over her career.

Aviani, who received her Master of Education Degree from Kent State, is a native of Surrey, British Columbia.