Squier Named Head Coach at Morningside College

By Ken McDowell

  So much has changed for Jessica (Tjaden) Squier and Jeff Squier since the last time they left Sterling to pursue academic and athletic careers at different colleges.

  When the two leave Sterling this time it will also be relocating to a college town but this time, not as students. 

   Jessica, the former mentor of the Northeastern Junior College (NJC) Plainswomen, was recently named head coach of the  volleyball program she played for at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa.

   As a result, her husband Jeff will be leaving his roles as Athletic Director and baseball coach at Sterling High School (SHS) at the end of this academic year.

  Instead of packing up and heading out as individuals as they did in 2007 and 2008, the two will begin their new journey as a family with daughter Quinncy, who will be 4 years old in April, and 6-month-old son Messer. 

  Jessica graduated from the former Julesburg High School where she led the Lady Lions to back-to-back Class 1A state titles in 2004-05 before joining the NJC Plainswomen in 2006-07 seasons.

   During her freshman year at NJC she was a right-side hitter and unselfishly moved to setter her sophomore season where Jessica helped the Plainswomen to a 44-14 record after a 35-12 mark her freshman season.

  She earned All-Region IX honors after her sophomore year while finishing with 1,623 career assists at NJC.

  After graduating from NJC in 2008 Jessica went on to continue her athletic and academic career at Morningside College, a private NAIA school.

   After her senior year Jessica was named to the NAIA All-American Team as a setter.

   She received her degree in Counseling in May of 2011 while teaching at Wray High School and coaching the volleyball team.

 In 2012 Jessica was named head coach of the NJC Plainswomen volleyball team where she enjoyed success in her first two years in college. 

   Following the 2012 season, she and Jeff were married on Dec. 22, 2012 and since have added Quinncy and Messer to their family.

   Jeff is a 2005 graduate of Sterling High School (SHS) where he was an All-State and All-Conference athlete in football, basketball and baseball.

  After graduating from SHS he went on to play baseball at NJC and after that successful career concluded in 2007, he signed to play baseball at Mississippi Valley State University, a Division I college.

  There he was selected All-Conference both years and after his senior year he was voted Division I South Region South Shortstop of the Year by Rawlings Baseball.

   In 2009 Squier was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 14th round of the Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft. He played for the Casper, Wyo. Ghosts - the rookie team of the Rockies - from, 2009-10 and advanced to AA before returning to Sterling in 2013.

   He was the business teacher and FBLA Advisor at SHS and in 2015 was named Athletic Director. In 2016 Squier took over the reigns as head baseball coach at Sterling, positions he currently holds.

  He will coach the Tigers this Spring before moving to Sioux City. The Tigers are 55-30 under the direction of Jeff through his first four seasons.

   Jessica became only the second volleyball coach at NJC to lead the Plainswomen to back-to-back Region IX titles and trips to the NJCAA National Tournament. She leaves NJC with a 170-105 mark.

  The last time the Plainswomen were back-to-back Region IX Tournament champions was in 1980-81 seasons under the direction of NJCAA Hall of Fame Coach Sheila Worley.

  After coaching the Plainswomen for eight successful seasons, Jessica is ready for her newest adventure at Morningside.

   "When I visited and interviewed at Morningside I instantly had the same welcoming feeling I had with Northeastern," Jessica said. "Not only are the employees of Morningside kind and caring just like Northeastern but they also value family life like Northeastern.

  "Morningside is affiliated with NAIA and is in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. They have premier athletes including a back to back NAIA National Champion football team. The volleyball program has seen success and my goal is to take the program to be a premier sought out program for recruits due to the culture."

  The couple weighed their options of leaving Sterling to pursue a new life.

   "Growth for our family, quality of life and what we do outside of our work life, and professional growth all weighed heavily in our decision-making process," Jeff said.

 "Supporting my wife and encouraging her to continue her coaching career at a four-year college and what those types of schools can offer as far as funding, transportation, and campus life," was tantamount in Jeff's decision.

  While Jessica will be coaching volleyball at Morningside, Jeff already has his career plans mapped out.

  "I will be an assistant principal/activities director for South Sioux City High School in South Sioux City," he said.

   "Our family will reside in that school district. They have north of 1,200 students and are a Class A size school. I'll always be a Tiger but moving forward I will be a SSC Cardinal.

   "My role will be similar to what I have been doing here at SHS over the past five years."

 Jessica stressed that coaching the NJC volleyball program has helped her prepare for her next journey.

  "My experience with Northeastern has been nothing short of rewarding," she said. "I had great superiors and great colleagues who supported me and helped me grow daily.

   "What I will miss the most about Northeastern are the people and the relationships I've developed. The goal was always to make Northeastern Nation proud of the volleyball program and it was always a collaborative effort across Northeastern departments."

  Being a former player and current coach and administrator at SHS has been a gratifying experience, according to Jeff.

  "My growth as a working professional in education here at SHS went from a substitute teacher to first year teacher/FBLA advisor then to Athletic Director/Dean of Students and head baseball coach," he said.

   "I feel privileged to have gained such a variety of skill sets and knowledge while working with some really amazing people. The support I received from the community with special projects to improve our facilities for our student-athletes is something I will always cherish.

  "Being a part of hiring committees, CHSAA committees, and district committees has allowed me to gain valuable experience that I will be taking with me," Squier said.

  "I can't thank Mr. (Wally) Beardsley enough for his mentoring and guidance as he hired me as AD with no experience but believed in me from day one.

   "He has been a very supportive and active behind the scenes on the projects we were able to accomplish over the past five years."

   Not too many coaches get the special experience of coaching at both colleges where they played, but Jessica calls her experience "quite unique."

  "When going through my five major changes in college I never once thought of coaching college volleyball," she said. "

   "My majors always had something to do with the school system and supporting young individuals grow into their own. To be able to do that through coaching college volleyball at two places I played college volleyball and grew myself is quite unique. I feel blessed."

  Marci Henry is the former NJC volleyball coach who Jessica played for in 2007-08. Henry is the currently Athletic Director at NJC who hired Jessica as volleyball coach in 2012.

  Henry stressed that Jessica's resignation will leave a mark in several places at NJC.

  "Jessica will be missed not only as the head volleyball coach, but most people probably don't realize her contributions to the athletic department and Region IX," Henry said.

  "She provided a structured volleyball program that allowed many student-athletes to succeed on and off the court. Her involvement in that athletic department as the academic liaison was instrumental in communication to coaches and providing academic support to students in need. 

  "On the regional level, she was the Secretary for the Women's division and coordinated all South Sub-Region volleyball discussions."

   "I'm happy for her to receive an opportunity where she can grow another program and make an impact at the NAIA level as well as have a work-life balance with her family."

  Henry reported that Assistant Coach Kenzie Chrisman will step in as the interim coach.

 Chrisman was recently selected as the Two-Year American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Assistant Coach of the Year following her first season at NJC in 2019.

   She served as the interim head coach the first 17 matches of the 2019 season when Jessica was on maternity leave after Jessica and Jeff's son Messer was born in September.

  Former Sterling Lady Tiger Assistant Coach Kendra Short stepped in as Kenzie's assistant in those 17 matches where the Plainswomen went 12-5 before Jessica's return.

  "We are excited about Kenzie being named Interim Head Coach," Henry said. "Kenzie's impact on the volleyball program last year when Jessica was on maternity leave was extraordinary.

  "She was able to provide the structure and discipline needed to start the season off while building the skills of the team to incorporate those into successful team play. If you didn't know, you would have had no idea she was a first year coach. 

  "And for that she was so deserving of the AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year. We are extremely happy Kenzie has accepted this position and look forward to her continuing the successful legacy of Northeastern volleyball."

  SHS Principal Wally Beardsley will have to search not only for an athletic director, but also a baseball coach after the departure of Jeff. He said Jeff has done an excellent job holding down both positions the last several years.

 "Jeff has done an outstanding job as a young educator," Beardsley said. "He came in here with a wealth of baseball knowledge and to be able to accept the responsibility as an athletic director as well as a coach is a real testament to his ability to adapt, to learn, to grow and work with people.

  "Being from Sterling is also a big thing. He understands the school and understands what Sterling athletics stands for and he has carried on the Tiger tradition."

  Beardsley said the search will be on to replace Squier, and added that he will leave a big void to fill.

  "When someone has been a big part of our school like Jeff has as a student/athlete and comes back as a teacher and a coach it will be tough to replace him," Beardsley said. "But there are also some great people out there and we will need to find someone who can step in and do the job and keep moving us forward.

  "Jeff is going to go on with his life and his new challenges too and we wish him, Jessica and their children the best of luck!"

   As the coaching couple and their children soon depart Sterling, both stressed that there are so many people who have been with them through their journey.

  "I will miss the connection I had with welcoming community supporters to our school and partnering with them to make this a better overall environment and experience for our students," Jeff said.

   "This community is my home and although I will be leaving at the end of the school year/baseball season, I hope they continue to provide support both monetarily and in their orange and black gear on game days.

   "I will miss my baseball guys tremendously. We have a strong core of juniors and sophomores as well as some upcoming freshman that you all will see this Spring who are very promising.

  "I look forward to developing them as much as I can between now and June 6 so that the program is in good hands after I leave."

   "I'd first like to say again thank you to my husband, Jeff, for the constant support in my career," Jessica said. "I hit it out of the park marrying you.

  "Second, a big thank you to my parents, Dennis and Carla Tjaden, and my in-laws, Bob and April Squier, for willing to help in any way they could.

  "Third, thank you to Marci Henry and Eddie Trenkle for always lending an ear and helping me pursue growth. An extended thank you to Northeastern Nation for the love and support of the volleyball program.

  "Finally, I thank you to my past student-athletes who took a chance on me. I hope when you look back at your experience with me and Northeastern you can honestly say that you were pushed to become the best version of yourself academically, athletically and personally."