Northwestern State soccer co-head coach Jess Jobe has taken the program to heights it hasn't seen since 2005. He led NSU to 13 wins in his second season after guiding the program to 10 wins and a Southland Conference Tournament appearance in his first season in Natchitoches. The Lady Demons had made only one SLC Tournament since 2009.
NSU finished second in the regular season in 2019, going 8-2-1, and defeating champion Lamar, handing the Cardinals their only conference setback. The Lady Demons advanced to the conference tournament championship for the first time since 2005.
NSU finished with the second most wins (8) and second most points (25) in conference play in program history. For his efforts, he and co-head coach Anna Jobe were named co-All Louisiana Coaches of the Year.
Jobe's squad had five players named to the All-Conference teams in 2019, led by Southland Conference Defender of the Year Nicole Henry. The defense was the calling card in 2019, as it allowed just 1.27 goals and 8.5 shots per game. The Lady Demons surrendered one goal or fewer 17 times in 22 matches and registered eight shutouts, which was the most in a season for NSU since 2009.
In 2018, Jobe tutored All-Southland Conference selection April Trowbridge (league best 13 goals, which was tied for 13th in the nation at the end of the regular season) as she led an offense that finished 30th in the nation with 2.10 goals per game.
Before NSU, Jobe spent the past seven seasons on the Dallas Baptist staff, the last two as associate head coach after three seasons as the top assistant and two as a graduate assistant.
The NCAA Division II Patriots have been a Top 25 program in each of those seven seasons, qualifying for six D-II NCAA Tournaments with a 108-35-11 mark in that span.
DBU won the Heartland Conference regular season and tournament titles in 2017, advancing to the Division II NCAA Tournament and finishing with a 15-4-2 record.
The Patriots appeared in the regional championship (Sweet 16) twice, winning the title and advancing to the national quarterfinals in 2015.
Jess helped guide the Patriots to four conference regular season titles (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017) and four league tournament titles (2011, 2015, 2016, 2017).
Five Patriots have achieved D-II All-American status with 12 regional selections and 55 all-conference picks in Jobe’s seven seasons.
Jess has one season of Division I experience as the North Texas goalkeeper coach in 2010. The Mean Green allowed just 17 goals in 21 matches, posting a .78 goals against average and nine shutouts. UNT went 12-7-1 and 7-3-1 in the Sun Belt Conference.
He’s been involved with the North Texas State Olympic Development Program (2010-14), the U.S. Soccer Olympic Development Program (2012-15) and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (2016 to present).
His coaching licenses include an Advanced National Goalkeeper Diploma (2015), an Advanced National Coaching Diploma (2014) and a USSF Level ‘D’ Coaching License (2009).
Jess has also been involved in soccer camps around the state, including being an integral assistant at the University of Texas soccer camps under coach Angela Kelly.
After finishing his playing career at Fontbonne University, he served as a student assistant coach and recruiter in 2009.
Jess started his playing career at Georgia Southern as a goalkeeper before transferring to NCAA Division III member Fontbonne.
At Fontbonne, he was a three-time, all-conference performer -- twice as a goalkeeper and once as a midfielder.
Jess completed his master of education in kinesiology from Dallas Baptist (2014) and his bachelor of science in sports management at Fontbonne (2009).
The Denton, Texas, native was married to Anna in December of 2016, and they have a newborn son Sterling born in March and two doberman pinschers Cal and Dirk.
