Northwestern University Athletics
Jennie Altherr Named to Women's Soccer Staff
6/19/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
June 19, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern women's soccer coach Jenny Haigh recently named Jennie Altherr to her staff as the program's top assistant. Altherr is replacing Erin Hussey, who left in May to take a job as an assistant coach with defending national champions Santa Clara.
"We're very excited to have Jennie join our staff, she brings experience, maturity and charisma," said Haigh. "She's a great teacher of the game, and she has a great track record as a player, recruiter and coach. If you look at Jennie's background just a little bit, it's easy to see that she'll be an invaluable asset to our program."
Altherr comes to Evanston following two successful seasons at Mississippi State. During Altherr's tenure there, the program underwent an 8 1/2 game improvement, from 4-16-0 in 1999 to 8-11-1 in 2000 and then 13-8 last season. In addition, the Bulldogs made the Southeastern Conference tournament for the first time this past season, and also captured the first SEC Western Division title for any women's sport at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs posted the most overall and conference victories in school history this past season, as well.
Altherr, 33, earned her Bachelor of Arts in physical education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1991. As a player, she was a member of the 1987 Tar Heels team that captured the national championship with a 1-0 victory over Massachusetts.
Following her collegiate playing career in Chapel Hill, Altherr jumped into the coaching profession with the Capital Area (N.C.) Soccer League organization. Her first coaching assignment came as an assistant coach with the '73 Raleigh Spartans in August 1990. Following that stint, Altherr spent five years as assistant coach with the '78 Spartans, helping lead the team to the 1995 state club championship and the prestigious 1994 WAGS title.
In 1996, Altherr got her first taste of head coaching duties when she was hired at St. Mary's College and High School as women's soccer coach for both the college and varsity prep programs. She got her first head coaching assignment with the CASL organization in 1997 with the '84 Spartan Red team, leading them to the 1997 state championship and semifinal appearances in 1998 and 1999. Altherr finished her time with CASL as head coach of '85 Spartan Red, leading the team to championships at the 1999 Charlotte Labor Day and 1999 Raleigh Shootout tournaments.
Altherr also served as head coach of the varsity and junior varsity teams at St. Timothy's-Hale School from July 1998 to May 1999, while also taking on duties as the head of the prep school's Health and Physical Education department.
A veteran of the summer camp scene, Altherr has traveled throughout the Southeast region as a staff clinician/coordinator of numerous soccer camps and clinics. She has earned her Premier Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and also holds an "A" license from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). She also spent a short time at Soccer Dome America, where she trained indoor teams and gave individual lessons.
