A former four-year starter at Penn State, Jess Strom enters her fourth season as head coach and ninth overall as a member of the Cal U coaching staff.
Strom has led the Vulcans to a 54-25 overall record while the head coach. During her time with the program, Cal U has made six NCAA Tournament appearances, boasted a pair of WBCA All-Americans and featured three PSAC West Athletes of the Year.
In her first full season as head coach, Strom guided Cal U to a berth in the 2013 NCAA Tournament and a 22-9 overall record. The Vulcans entered the tournament as the seventh seed and recorded a pair of upset victories over nationally-ranked teams to advance to Atlantic Regional Championship, falling to the host and top seed by only three points.
Strom led the Vulcans to a 14-7 record during her stint as the interim head coach during the 2011-12 campaign. Cal U finished the season with a 17-10 overall record, including a 14-8 mark in league play, and a 12th-consecutive appearance in the PSAC Tournament.
A 2012 WPIAL Hall of Fame inductee, Strom has been with the Cal U program since 2006, serving as an assistant under current Appalachian State head coach Darcie Vincent and later Heather Kearney, who is currently the associate head coach for the Mountaineers. While an assistant with the Vulcans, Strom helped lead the program to five-straight berths in the NCAA Tournament with Elite Eight appearances in 2008 and 2009.
Strom previously mentored two-time WBCA All-American Brooque Williams, who finished her career as the school’s all-time leading scorer. Williams, the 2009 PSAC West Athlete of the Year and three-time All-PSAC West First-Team selection, also set the league 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 and a pair of Big Ten regular-season titles.
Strom was a three-time All-Big Ten selection and finished her Penn State career as one of only four players to register 1,000 points and 750 assists in a career. She also ranks among the program’s all-time leader with 310 steals and 191 three-pointers.
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.
A native of Munhall, Strom was a two-sport standout while at Steel Valley High School. She finished her basketball career as one of the top scorers in WPIAL history with 2,840 points and was a two-time Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 5 selection. Strom was also a standout soccer player, registering a WPIAL-record 205 goals in her career.
STROM YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING RECORDÂ
| Year | Overall
Record | Win Pct. | Conference
Record | Post-Season |
| 2011-12 | 14-7 | .667 | 12-6 | PSAC Tournament |
| 2012-13 | 22-9 | .710 | 15-7 | PSAC Tournament
NCAA Tournament |
| 2013-14 | 18-9 | .667 | 11-5 | PSAC Tournament |
| TOTALS | 54-25 | .684 | 38-18 (.679) | |
