Army West Point Athletics
Carolyn Roach Joins Women’s Rugby Staff as Assistant Coach
September 28, 2025 | Women's Rugby
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army West Point Head Women's Rugby Coach Jenn Salomon-Clayton announced the addition of Carolyn Roach to the coaching staff as an assistant coach.
Roach, a native of Bridgeport, Conn., is a rising star in the coaches ranks and arrives at West Point following an impressive professional playing career.
"We are thrilled to welcome Carolyn Roach to the WAR family. Carolyn's passion for the game is evident in everything she's accomplished, from competing at a high level to building championship programs at the grassroots level," head coach Jenn Salomon-Clayton said. "What truly sets her apart is her deep commitment to servant leadership and developing others, which are values that align perfectly with what we stand for here at West Point. Her extensive experience working with players at all levels, combined with her success at New Haven brings an invaluable perspective to our program. Carolyn understands what it takes to develop not just skilled rugby players, but strong leaders and quality individuals."
As a coach, Roach brings both vision and results. Most recently, she served as an assistant coach for the University of New Haven women's rugby team, supporting the program's growth, recruiting student-athletes and developing players on and off the field. Previously, she was the associate head coach of the Aspetuck Valley Girls Rugby Club, where she guided the team to top six national finishes, three Connecticut State Championships (2023–2025) and back-to-back Elite Girls Rugby League titles (2023 and 2024).
Her leadership has been recognized nationally, as Roach was honored with the U.S. Women's Rugby Foundation's inaugural "15 Under 30" Award, celebrating rising leaders shaping the future of rugby, and was named Coach of the Month in September 2023. She also serves as a board member of Girls Rugby Inc., contributing to the organization's mission to empower girls through sport.
Her playing career spans the highest levels of competition. She competed with the New York Rugby Club of the Women's Premier League (WPL), finishing third place in the 2019 USA Rugby WPL XV Championships. In 2021, she was selected to represent the Jamaica Women's National Team at the Olympic Repechage in Monaco. She went on to play with the ROOTS Rugby Family Club, leading tours in rugby league that earned her selection to the USA Women's Hawks National Rugby League Team in 2022. At the club level, she has been a central figure for the New Haven Old Black Women's Rugby Football Club, contributing to four consecutive Empire GU D2 Championships (2021–2024).
Roach is a two-time graduate of Springfield College, where she played for four years and captained the team. She earned her Bachelor of Science in movement and sports studies and coaching in 2017 and graduated with a Master of Education in athletic administration in 2019.
Roach, a native of Bridgeport, Conn., is a rising star in the coaches ranks and arrives at West Point following an impressive professional playing career.
"We are thrilled to welcome Carolyn Roach to the WAR family. Carolyn's passion for the game is evident in everything she's accomplished, from competing at a high level to building championship programs at the grassroots level," head coach Jenn Salomon-Clayton said. "What truly sets her apart is her deep commitment to servant leadership and developing others, which are values that align perfectly with what we stand for here at West Point. Her extensive experience working with players at all levels, combined with her success at New Haven brings an invaluable perspective to our program. Carolyn understands what it takes to develop not just skilled rugby players, but strong leaders and quality individuals."
As a coach, Roach brings both vision and results. Most recently, she served as an assistant coach for the University of New Haven women's rugby team, supporting the program's growth, recruiting student-athletes and developing players on and off the field. Previously, she was the associate head coach of the Aspetuck Valley Girls Rugby Club, where she guided the team to top six national finishes, three Connecticut State Championships (2023–2025) and back-to-back Elite Girls Rugby League titles (2023 and 2024).
Her leadership has been recognized nationally, as Roach was honored with the U.S. Women's Rugby Foundation's inaugural "15 Under 30" Award, celebrating rising leaders shaping the future of rugby, and was named Coach of the Month in September 2023. She also serves as a board member of Girls Rugby Inc., contributing to the organization's mission to empower girls through sport.
Her playing career spans the highest levels of competition. She competed with the New York Rugby Club of the Women's Premier League (WPL), finishing third place in the 2019 USA Rugby WPL XV Championships. In 2021, she was selected to represent the Jamaica Women's National Team at the Olympic Repechage in Monaco. She went on to play with the ROOTS Rugby Family Club, leading tours in rugby league that earned her selection to the USA Women's Hawks National Rugby League Team in 2022. At the club level, she has been a central figure for the New Haven Old Black Women's Rugby Football Club, contributing to four consecutive Empire GU D2 Championships (2021–2024).
Roach is a two-time graduate of Springfield College, where she played for four years and captained the team. She earned her Bachelor of Science in movement and sports studies and coaching in 2017 and graduated with a Master of Education in athletic administration in 2019.
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