Jamie is the current Director of Coaching and co-founder of Grasshoppers FC, along with current Grasshopper Director of Goalkeeping and coach, Matt Salmon. His love of coaching began in college while coaching youth camps, and continued to blossom since then. He has coached at every level from rec with his own kids, through high school age groups at the club level for high performing teams. Jamie’s coaching journey also includes stops along the way as an Assistant Coach at Ohio Wesleyan University and Ohio Dominican, as well as a Head Coach at Alma College in Michigan. He was also a staff and lead counselor for soccer camps at Ohio Wesleyan and Wake Forest University in the mid-2000s. Each step along the way, he learned valuable lessons alongside very successful coaches and people, but most importantly had the privilege to guide and mentor young players along their soccer journey, regardless of their goals or ability.
Experience
Prior to his coaching days, Jamie enjoyed a successful soccer playing career. He was captain of his high school team that finished 3rd in the state in Division I, and held the same title for various club teams in his youth, including Club Ohio Dynamo, who won state and regional titles, culminating in a 4th place finish at the National Championship tournament in 1998.
He was a 4-year collegiate starter, initially at Coastal Carolina University before transferring closer to home and finishing his collegiate career at Ohio Wesleyan University. While at OWU, he helped lead the team to a National Championship in his first year at the school. In 2 of his 3 seasons at OWU, he helped the team finish the year ranked #1 in the country, captaining the Battling Bishops to an undefeated regular season in his final year before losing in the National quarterfinals. After college, Jamie continued to pursue a playing career, with tryouts for a couple teams in Cologne, Germany, as well as professional indoor teams Cleveland Force and Detroit Ignition, the latter of which coached by Mark Pulisic, the father of current USMNT player Christian Pulisic. He also competed and won a handful of indoor national tournament championships with and against countless former professional players.
Each experience along his soccer journey provided highs and lows thru victory and defeat, injuries and disappointment, all of which informs who he is today as a coach. Thru those experiences, he hopes to help guide and mentor the next generation of youth soccer players to develop a love for the game and provide a rewarding experience where lifelong friendships are built and the boundaries of what is possible for each player and team are consistently challenged.
