After the resignation of former Head Coach George Van Linder, this past fall the Northwestern State Lady Demon soccer team went on a hunt for a replacement. His replacement came in the form of not one, but two co-head coaches.
Jess and Anna Jobe, a husband and wife duo, spent the last few seasons as assistant coaches at Dallas Baptist University. Both have an understanding of soccer and what it means to be a college athlete.
“My start was always just being involved with athletics and sports in some way, and soccer was always one of those constants,” Jess Jobe said. “[Being a college athlete] guided me to be more responsible and more discipline with how I spent my time.”
Anna Jobe’s start in sports began early in life.
“My dad is a football coach, so I grew up around team sports,” she said. “I knew I wanted to coach from a really young age so it was a natural choice when choosing majors.”
Coaching with one’s significant other may seem odd to the average person, but for Jess and Anna it isn’t.
“It’s not that different,” he said. “Every college staff in the country has to communicate at a really high level, so that’s one thing being married that we’re constantly working on.”
Anna agrees with her husband.
“This [being married] was a big part of our interview process, and people asking us how we would do it, and it just boils down to having the same perceptive about what we’re doing,” she said. “And that perceptive is not about us; our career is about these girls and their soccer experience.”
When new coaches come in, a transition period occurs as they take their plan off paper and make it a reality. This process is already beginning to take place as the Jobes usher in their game plan for the Lady Demons.
“The goal is to unite them first and get us all on the same page with common goals in mind and commitment in the right areas,” Jess Jobe said. “Disciple and accountability are a big part of that.”
Anna has already seen areas that need to be improved on in the few short weeks she has been a part of the Demon family.
“We’ve got some improvements to make,” she said. “But the effort and attitude are there so we’ve been proud of them so far.”
Senior April Trowbridge has her own thoughts on this new addition.
“It’s a positive change and the biggest thing they’re doing right now is coming in and changing the mentality of the team, which is a huge aspect of what the off-season is about,” the forward said.
The Lady Demons will take to the field later this year with new coaches and players ready to accomplish their goals and improve on last year’s results.
