LOGAN, Utah - Utah State soccer head coach Manny Martins has begun organizing his staff and has announced that current assistant coach Jessica Evanson will be returning.
"I want to thank Manny for this opportunity to work with him and be a part of his staff," Evanson said. "I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity to continue to be an Aggie. I am looking forward to implementing the championship vision Manny has for this program and I am very excited to be a part of the continued development of USU soccer."
Evanson, a Cache Valley native and graduate of Sky View High School, returned to the valley as a member of the Utah State staff in December of 2019 and began her work with USU keepers. Under her watch, sophomore keeper Diera Walton surrendered the fewest goals in school history a season ago, led the Mountain West in shutouts per game, ranked third in the conference in goals-against-average and saves per game and fourth in total saves.
On the field, Utah State finished with its first winning record since the 2017 season, scoring the fourth-most goals in the Mountain West. The Aggies' 10 goals allowed marked the second fewest in the league, while senior midfielders Ashley Cardozo and Kami Warner finished second in the MW with four assists apiece.
"I am very excited to add Jessica to the staff. Her ability to teach and build relationships with the student-athletes will be a tremendous asset as we continue to develop our program," Martins said. "We will also benefit greatly from Jess' established relationships, and understanding of the recruiting landscape within the state and the region."
Evanson came to Utah State after a coaching stint at Salt Lake Community College, mentoring the Bruin keepers to a goals-against-average of 0.73, as SLCC finished the season with a 12-1-1 overall record and an unbeaten 9-0-1 record in league play in 2019.
Evanson was a stalwart goalkeeper in her own right, appearing in 58 matches with 28 starts at Utah Valley University from 2011-15. Evanson led the Wolverines with more than 2,000 minutes in goal as a junior, appearing and starting in 22 contests during the year and leading UVU with 81 saves and a goals-against-average of 0.84. In all, Evanson recorded more than 4,682 minutes in goal for the Wolverines in her career, carrying a goals-against-average of 1.08 and totaling 201 career saves.
Evanson was named first-team all-WAC, the WAC Defensive Player of the Year and the WAC Tournament MVP as a junior and was later named as the UVU Female Athlete of the Year as a senior. She was also strong in the classroom, earning a pair of academic all-WAC accolades, and was a leader on the pitch, serving as the team captain.
Evanson returned to UVU following her playing career and cut her coaching teeth as the director of operations and later as a student manager with the Wolverines. She also worked as the director of goalkeepers with the Utah Arsenal Futbol Club during her time in Utah County.
Evanson graduated with a degree in psychology from Utah Valley in 2015 and returned to UVU to earn her master's in business administration in 2019. Evanson graduated from Sky View High School in 2011, where she was named an all-region goalkeeper for the Bobcats and was also a member of the state championship track & field team and 4x400-meter state championship relay team.
Fans can follow the Aggie soccer program on Twitter, @USUSoccer, on Facebook at /USUSoccer and on Instagram, @USUSoccer. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
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