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Staff Directory
- Title:
- Head Coach
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On July 2, 2008, Jessica Hain was named the sixth head women's soccer coach of the Liberty Lady Flames' soccer program.
During her tenure at Liberty, Hain has guided the Lady Flames to two Big South regular-season titles, two Big South Championship crowns and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.
In 2015, Liberty reached the finals of the Big South Championship for the third straight season, garnering its second conference title in three years. With its 1-0 win over Campbell on Nov. 9, 2015 in Greensboro, N.C., Liberty earned its record-tying fifth Big South Championship. The Lady Flames went on to face No. 3 seed and 21-time NCAA National Champion North Carolina in the opening round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament, dropping the contest, 3-0. Overall, the Lady Flames closed out the year 13-8-1 (8-2 Big South) and received their highest final RPI ranking in program history (56).
Along with a pair of conference championships, Hain’s Lady Flames have amassed a 43-18-4 record in the last three seasons. Liberty has a 24-5-2 mark in Big South play during the span, earning eight conference victories three straight years.
In 2013, Hain guided the program to its fourth Big South Championship and first since 2005. The Lady Flames captured the conference title on Nov. 10, 2013 after besting two-time defending Big South champion, Radford University, 5-0, setting the mark for the most goals in a conference final. Liberty went on to meet the Tar Heels in the opening round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, falling 4-0.
In addition to its championship season, Hain's squad finished the year with a 16-6-1 record, marking the best single-season win total in program history. The Lady Flames also set a program and conference record with 14 shutouts during the year, finishing No. 14 in the nation for shutout percentage. The Lady Flames finished No. 16 in the nation in save percentage and 28th nationally for goals against average.
A number of Hain's players have received postseason awards, including midfielder Brittany Aanderud and goalkeeper Holly Van Noord. The duo garnered National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Region Team honors, with Aanderud earning three straight second team selections (2013-15). Meanwhile, Van Noord has received two third team nods and a second team selection in 2014, when she was also voted Big South Defensive Player of the Year. Aanderud concluded her career as the program and Big South’s all-time assist leader with 30. Van Noord enters her final season with the Lady Flames tied for the conference shutout record with 33 clean sheets.
Since Hain’s first season in 2008, 10 Lady Flames have garnered Big South All-Conference first team selections, while 14 players have earned second team honors. Hain has also coached 13 Big South All-Freshman team members, 16 Big South Championship All-Tournament team honorees and two tournament MVPs (Aanderud in 2013 and Alex Mack in 2015).
During her second year at Liberty in 2009, Hain and the Lady Flames experienced the biggest single-season turnaround in program history, capturing the Big South regular-season title and closing out the year with a 9-7-3 record (6-1-2 BSC). As a result of her team's performance during the regular season, Hain earned Big South Coach of the Year Honors.
Hain came to Liberty after two seasons as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Lady Eagles of the United States (USL) W-League. With the club, Hain was responsible for recruiting players, implementing training sessions, running international mission trips and organizing international clinics, while training and teaching sports ministry, both in the United States and Brazil.
In her final season in Charlotte, Hain helped the Lady Eagles to a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division standings and into the Eastern Conference playoffs with an 11-2-1 mark. The squad's roster included former Liberty standout goalkeeper Sonia Rodriguez, who was a Lady Flame from 2001-05.
The year prior, Hain was the head coach of the W-League's Carolina Dynamo. At that time, Hain was the youngest and only female coach in the Atlantic Division.
Hain also coached internationally. While serving as a missionary in Brazil, she was co-head coach of the Cotia Women's Professional Soccer team based in Sao Paulo in 2007. Cotia competed as both an 11-a-side and futsal team.
From 2004-06, Hain was an assistant coach at Clemson University. Each of her seasons with the Lady Tigers, Clemson received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. During her tenure at Clemson, the Lady Tigers recorded a 40-25-9 mark.
Hain began her collegiate coaching career at the University of Delaware in 2000, serving as the first assistant until 2003, followed by a one-year stint as the first assistant at Creighton University.
Hain has worked with various states and regions in the United States Olympic Development Program (ODP). Hain was a coach with the New Jersey ODP Under-17 Girls State team from 2002-03 and coached the Nebraska ODP U-17 girls state team from 2003-04.
During her time at Creighton University, Hain was a staff coach with Region II ODP; identifying top youth players from within a 12-state region.
Hain graduated cum laude from North Carolina State University with a B.S. in Psychology in 1999. She then graduated cum laude with a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the University of Delaware in 2003.
A four-year letter winner in the collegiate ranks, Hain was a two-year starter for The Ohio State University Buckeyes (1995-96) and a two-year starter for the N.C. State Wolfpack (1997-98). She was a three-time National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA) All-America Scholar-Athlete from 1995-97 and earned Academic All-ACC honors in 1998.
At the semi-professional level, Hain played in the W-League from 1996-2002 for the Charlotte Speed, Piedmont Spark, Raleigh Wings and New Jersey Wildcats. From 1993-95, Hain captained the 77' Raleigh Spartans, capturing the 1995 US Youth Soccer National Championships, and was inducted into the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame in February, 2013.
A native of High Point, N.C., Hain is married to Frank Hain and the couple resides in Lynchburg with their son, Samuel, and daughters, Frankie Grace and Finley Joy.
