Jessica Whitehead, a lifelong Southern illinois resident and a 2013 graduate of Southern Illinois University, has been named an assistant coach for the Saluki volleyball program, head coach Ed Allen announced Wednesday.
Whitehead takes over for Tristan Johnson, who was named the head coach at North Alabama earlier this year. Whitehead will assist with all aspects of team training and operations.
“We’re excited to bring Jessica back to the Saluki family,” Allen said. “She’s played a significant role in building this program as a player and our hope is she will continue to do so as a coach. Strong character is important to us and she exemplifies that in all she does, including the tight relationship that she shares with her family.”
The Murphysboro, Ill. native comes to SIU by way of John A. Logan College, where she spent the last eight seasons as an assistant under head coach Bill Burnside. The Volunteers consistently won with Whitehead on staff, as they posted a .677 winning percentage (170-81), won four Great Rivers Athletic Conference titles and went on to win four-straight Region 24 titles from 2016-19.
Whitehead starred as an outside hitter for the Saluki volleyball team. Her 1,401 career kills remain the fourth-most in program history and her 9.23 attempts per set rank second in school history. Whitehead earned All-MVC First Team honors in 2013 after she led the Missouri Valley Conference with 516 kills and finished second in the league with a 4.16 kills per set average. Her 516 kills were the second-most in a single-season in SIU history and it marked only the second time that a Saluki has led the Valley in kills.
“I’m excited to be back at my alma mater,” Whitehead said. “I’m looking forward to helping Coach Allen get SIU back to where it was and take it to new heights. I feel so fortunate to get an opportunity to be a Division I assistant coach this close to home.”
Whitehead played her prep ball at nearby Murphysboro High School, where she helped guide the Red Devils to a 114-32 record and four regional championships during her career. A two-time recipient of The Southern Illinoisan Player of the Year honor and a two-time All-State honoree, Whitehead led the Red Devils to their first, and only, sectional title in 2009.
