A former four-year starter at Penn State, Jess Strom enters her sixth season on the coaching staff with the California University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball program. She was appointed interim head coach of the Vulcans in early December 2011.
While with the program, she has helped lead the Vulcans to five-straight berths in the NCAA Tournament with Elite Eight appearances in 2008 and 2009. Cal U has also advanced to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship Game in each of the last five years.
Strom previously mentored two-time Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-American Brooque Williams, who finished her career as the school’s all-time leader in scoring. Williams, the 2009 PSAC West Athlete of the Year and three-time All-PSAC First-Team selection, also set the school and conference record for career steals.
While playing for the Lady Lions, Strom helped Penn State compile a 93-38 overall record (.710) with a 52-12 mark (.813) in Big Ten play. From 2002-05, the Lady Lions won a pair of Big Ten regular-season titles.
Strom ranks third in Penn State history with 191 career three-pointers and 310 steals. She also finished her career among the all-time leaders in assists (776) and points (1,466).
During her collegiate career, Strom was one of the best free-throw shooters in Penn State history. She set single-game school records for most free-throws made, consecutive free-throws made and free-throw percentage after going a perfect 15-for-15 in 2005 against Minnesota. She holds the fifth (.877, 71-of-81) and sixth (.872, 129-of-148) best single-season free-throw percentages in Lady Lion history.
A three-time All-Big Ten selection, Strom finished her Penn State career as one of only four players to register 1,000 points and 750 assists in a career. She was a two-time winner of the Tom Caldwell Award, which was given in recognition of the “Unsung Hero” on the Lady Lion team.
Strom has coached at Penn State’s basketball camps and hosted private individual instruction opportunities since 2002. She also coached the 2005 Pittsburgh Rockers, an AAU team that participated in several national tournaments, and has been active in Special Olympics and Easter Seals programs.
