University of New Hampshire Athletics
Jessica Nei Named Women’s Soccer Assistant Coach
7/14/2025 5:39:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Nei brings over 15 years of collegiate coaching experience to Durham
DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire women's soccer program has named Jessica Nei an assistant coach.
"We are very excited to announce and welcome our new assistant coach Jessica Nei to Durham and Wildcat Country!," said UNH head coach Steve Welham. "Jess brings along extensive collegiate coaching experience and has positively impacted each program that she has been involved with. Jess is known to be loyal, hardworking, honest and a talented coach who can train goalkeepers and field players alike. Having played Division I Collegiate soccer she has "walked in the shoes" of our players and understands the landscape of our game very well. Jess quickly rose to the top of a very talented pool of applicants and has certainly hit the ground running. She has proven she can identify and develop talented young players along with nurturing young goalkeepers. Jess is not only a student of the game, but she is a good person who loves the game of soccer through and through. I am looking forward to her positively impacting our program in the seasons beyond!"
Nei previously served as the associate head coach at Northwestern State for the past two seasons. At NSU, she mentored multiple student-athletes to Southland Conference regular season and postseason honors, while in her first complete year with the program the team's RPI moved up 100 spots and NSU's overall goals scored doubled.
Prior to NSU, Nei was an associate head coach at North Dakota. She contributed to a team that more than doubled its win total in both the overall and conference seasons in her first full season. Nei aided in guiding the Fighting Hawks to their second conference postseason appearance in the Division I era in 2022.
Before her time at UND, she was at Wyoming for a season, where she primarily coached the midfielders and goalkeepers.
Nei came to Wyoming after a five-year stint at Toledo from 2015-21, where she was the recruiting coordinator and responsible for the defenders and goalkeepers. The Rockets won a MAC conference tournament championship and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2017. While with the Rockets, she coached a player who played in the Olympics & Women's World Cup.
She was hired at Toledo following a successful stint at Arkansas State from 2011-14. While with the RedWolves, she coached starting goalkeepers to the lowest goals against average in school history (1.19), fewest goals allowed (11) and most wins (8). As an assistant at ASU, she helped guide the school to its first winning seasons in school history in her second and third years with the program.
In 2012, Nei earned the Assistant Coach Spirit Award for recognizing outstanding service,
commitment to excellence, going above and beyond expectations in advancement of the Arkansas State athletic department.
Nei started her coaching career as an assistant coach at St. Cloud State (2008-10), where she was a part of a program that posted 28 victories, recording its first winning conference season in school history and first winning record in 13 seasons.
As a student-athlete, Nei was a goalkeeper for North Dakota State (2003-07) and helped the Bison post 46 victories.
Nei graduated from North Dakota State in 2008 as a Physical Education and Health Education major, while she earned her Master's degree in Recreation and Leisure Administration from Toledo in 2016.
The Wildcats will open the 2025 season at Boston University on Sunday, Aug. 17 at 1 p.m., followed by the home opener at Wildcat Stadium versus Stonehill on Thursday, Aug. 21 at 6 p.m.
"We are very excited to announce and welcome our new assistant coach Jessica Nei to Durham and Wildcat Country!," said UNH head coach Steve Welham. "Jess brings along extensive collegiate coaching experience and has positively impacted each program that she has been involved with. Jess is known to be loyal, hardworking, honest and a talented coach who can train goalkeepers and field players alike. Having played Division I Collegiate soccer she has "walked in the shoes" of our players and understands the landscape of our game very well. Jess quickly rose to the top of a very talented pool of applicants and has certainly hit the ground running. She has proven she can identify and develop talented young players along with nurturing young goalkeepers. Jess is not only a student of the game, but she is a good person who loves the game of soccer through and through. I am looking forward to her positively impacting our program in the seasons beyond!"
Nei previously served as the associate head coach at Northwestern State for the past two seasons. At NSU, she mentored multiple student-athletes to Southland Conference regular season and postseason honors, while in her first complete year with the program the team's RPI moved up 100 spots and NSU's overall goals scored doubled.
Prior to NSU, Nei was an associate head coach at North Dakota. She contributed to a team that more than doubled its win total in both the overall and conference seasons in her first full season. Nei aided in guiding the Fighting Hawks to their second conference postseason appearance in the Division I era in 2022.
Before her time at UND, she was at Wyoming for a season, where she primarily coached the midfielders and goalkeepers.
Nei came to Wyoming after a five-year stint at Toledo from 2015-21, where she was the recruiting coordinator and responsible for the defenders and goalkeepers. The Rockets won a MAC conference tournament championship and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2017. While with the Rockets, she coached a player who played in the Olympics & Women's World Cup.
She was hired at Toledo following a successful stint at Arkansas State from 2011-14. While with the RedWolves, she coached starting goalkeepers to the lowest goals against average in school history (1.19), fewest goals allowed (11) and most wins (8). As an assistant at ASU, she helped guide the school to its first winning seasons in school history in her second and third years with the program.
In 2012, Nei earned the Assistant Coach Spirit Award for recognizing outstanding service,
commitment to excellence, going above and beyond expectations in advancement of the Arkansas State athletic department.
Nei started her coaching career as an assistant coach at St. Cloud State (2008-10), where she was a part of a program that posted 28 victories, recording its first winning conference season in school history and first winning record in 13 seasons.
As a student-athlete, Nei was a goalkeeper for North Dakota State (2003-07) and helped the Bison post 46 victories.
Nei graduated from North Dakota State in 2008 as a Physical Education and Health Education major, while she earned her Master's degree in Recreation and Leisure Administration from Toledo in 2016.
The Wildcats will open the 2025 season at Boston University on Sunday, Aug. 17 at 1 p.m., followed by the home opener at Wildcat Stadium versus Stonehill on Thursday, Aug. 21 at 6 p.m.
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