Jessica Nei recently finished her fifth season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the women’s soccer program in 2019.
Nei has been a major part of the success of the program culminated, with Toledo claiming the Mid-American Conference title and making a league-best fifth appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2017.
Focusing primarily with the goalkeepers and defenders, Nei’s defensive group has registered 21 shutouts since she joined the program.
In 2017, Nei mentored redshirt freshman goalkeeper Madison Perrin to MAC All-Freshman honors in her first year of action. Perrin was a key component to Toledo’s championship run, playing every minute of the season while amassing 107 saves and five clean sheets. Perrin allowed just 33 goals and ended the year with a 1.37 GAA and .764 save percentage.
Additionally, senior defenders Chiara Paradiso and Regan Price were named to the all-tournament team following the Rockets’ league-best fifth conference championship title. Paradiso was selected second-team All-MAC as well. Nei also previously mentored goalkeeper Sam Tiongson, who earned MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 21, 2015 after blanking Northern Kentucky, 2-0.
Nei joined Toledo after serving as an assistant coach at Arkansas State from 2011-14. She helped the Red Wolves to their first winning season in school history in 2012.
While at ASU, Nei helped the Red Wolves achieve some of the best goalkeeping in the Sun Belt Conference. Arkansas State netminders ranked third in the league with 112 saves in 2013, and had a 1.38 goals against average in 2012, the second-lowest average in school history.
Individually, Nei helped mold Aja Aguirre into one of the most successful goalkeepers in Arkansas State history. Aguirre set the record for the lowest GAA (1.19) in 2012.
In 2013, Nei coached Amanda Lee to the third-most saves in school history with 92, and the third-lowest goals against average at 1.34. Her 8.07 saves per match average is tied for the most in school history.
Before joining the Red Wolves, Nei spent three years at St. Cloud State University. During her three seasons with St. Cloud, she helped the Huskies to a 28-21-8 record, including two 10-win seasons and the first winning record in school history.
Along with her college coaching experience, Nei has held coaching positions with Tonka United Soccer Association, Becker Youth Soccer Club, Red River Soccer Club (now Tri-City Storm SC), and Central Minnesota Youth Soccer Association. Additionally, she has worked with the Olympic Development Programs in Minnesota, Arkansas, and Ohio South. Nei also holds a USSF “C” license and NSCAA Advanced National Diploma.”
As a player, Nei was a goalkeeper for North Dakota State University (2003-07) and helped the Bison amass a 46-22-5 overall record. Nei earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major in physical education and health education from NDSU in 2008, and received her master’s in recreation and leisure administration from Toledo in 2016.
