Bio

Jenna Kalwa enters her third season as Head Coach for Women's Soccer at USJ in 2023 after becoming the fifth head coach in program history in August 2021. In two years at the helm of the Blue Jays, USJ has posted a 19-13-3 record overall, including a 14-9-3 mark in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play. In addition, Kalwa has coached nine All-Conference selections.

This past season, the Blue Jays continued their incredible postseason streak, advancing to the GNAC playoffs for the 22nd consecutive year. Kalwa and USJ earned the eighth seed in the postseason after posting a 5-6-2 record in conference play.

Kalwa made an immediate impact with the Blue Jays in her first season as Head Coach, guiding the team to a 13-4-1 record, which were the most wins in a single season since the 2012 campaign. The Blue Jays would reach the semifinals of the GNAC playoffs as the fourth-seed before falling to eventual champions Johnson & Wales University. For her impressive season, Kalwa was named the GNAC Coach of the Year after leading USJ to the fourth-seed and a 9-3-1 record in conference play.

Prior to joining the Blue Jays, Kalwa spent the previous three years as an assistant coach at Division I University of Rhode Island (URI) under head coach Megan Jessee. At URI, Kalwa aided in all facets of the program from student-athlete development, recruiting, academics, admissions, administrative needs, and operation requirements. She was primarily responsible for player development and recruitment of URI's midfield, attacking set pieces, team training schedule and execution, game day preparedness, and assisting with goalkeeper sessions. During Kalwa's time on staff, the Rams' RPI increased 68 spots, results increased by 45%, and goals against decreased by 72%. Additionally, Kalwa served as the primary contact for all academic matters and admission processes, which she saw 25 out of 26 student-athletes make the 2020 Spring Dean's List.

In addition to her role with URI, Kalwa also served as the head coach for the Rams FC U15 and U16 teams based out of Kingston, R.I. There, she readied youth women's soccer players for competitive games by teaching technical and tactical fundamentals, while implementing coordinated regimens of practices and physical conditioning.

Prior to URI, Kalwa spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons as the director of operations for NC State's women's soccer program under head coach Tim Santoro. In her time with the Wolfpack, Kalwa organized in-season travel and team nutrition. She also assisted with the organization of NC State's recruiting and helped out with summer camps, budgeting and women's soccer alumni events. While on staff, the Wolfpack made the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament and NCAA Tournament each year, advancing to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2016.

In addition to her role with NC State, Kalwa served as the head coach for the North Carolina Football Club's U17 Classic team. In that role, she taught the technical, tactical, mental and physical aspects of the game while also providing player evaluations. Kalwa also spent time as both a referee and coach for XL Sports World, working with youth and adult players alike.

As a student-athlete, Kalwa was a two-year member of the Penn State women's soccer team (2012-13) before transferring to NC State for her final two seasons (2014-15). During her freshman year, the Nittany Lions went 21-3-2, won the Big 10 Conference, and advanced to the NCAA title game. As a player for the Wolfpack, Kalwa appeared in each of the team's 38 games in the midfield, making 36 starts. She was NC State's 2014 MVP, and was selected as a team captain for the 2015 season.

Originally from Pennington, N.J., Kalwa earned her bachelor's degree in social work from NC State in 2016.

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