Jesse Campos
Head Coach
Jesse Campos begins his seventh season as the head coach of the St. Catherine University soccer team in 2023-24.
In 2022, Campos led the Wildcats to a back to back MIAC Playoff Championship season, marking their 3rd MIAC playoff championship and 3rd trip to the NCAA National Tournament in program history. The 2022 campaign saw 4 players named to the USC All-Region team, 5 to the MIAC All-Conference first team, 5 to the MIAC All Playoff team, and the 1 MIAC Playoff MVP.
In 2021, Campos led the Wildcats to the program's first-ever regular season MIAC championship to earn a No. 1 seed in the MIAC Playoff tournament. The team went on to secure the program's second MIAC Playoff Title with a defeat of the College of Saint Benedict to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The team finished 15-2-3 with an MIAC record of 9-1-1. During the season, Campos earned his 50th career win to become the program's most winningest coach while also being named MIAC Coach of the Year. The entire coaching staff earned United Soccer Coaches Region Coaching Staff of the Year while Campos' team earned multiple end of the season accolades including the program's first All-America selection (Amanda Elton, Third-Team).
The 2020 fall season was canceled and an abbreviated season was played in spring 2021. Campos led the Wildcats to a perfect 4-0 season allowing just two goals while scoring 20.
In year three, Campos led St. Kate's to a 12-7 overall record making it to the MIAC Playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, as the No. 3 seed. Overall, the team finished 8-3 in the MIAC falling to Bethel in the quarterfinal round. The team was ranked No. 10 in the Central Region at the end of the 2019 season. Two players were named to the MIAC All-Conference First Team (Lauren Witte and Mandy Elton) along with three additional players selected for MIAC All-Conference Honorable Mention. Elton also earned MIAC Rookie of the Year, a program first, and was selected as an United States Soccer Coaches All-Central Region Third Team honoree.
In his second season at the helm, Campos led the Wildcats to an undefeated home record finishing the season 11-4-2 and 7-2-2 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). In 2018, Campos and the Wildcats returned to the MIAC Playoff Tournament as the No. 4 seed making it to the semifinal round. Overall, the Wildcats finished fourth in the MIAC and earned their highest NCAA Regional ranking of 8th. The team also earned a program record five student-athletes earning MIAC All-Conference post-season honors. Three athletes were on the MIAC All-Conference First Team, the most in program history.
The Wildcat soccer program earned their first ever MIAC Playoff Championship in Campos' first season as the head coach. The Wildcats' defeated Gustavus 1-0 at home to claim the honor of being the 2017 MIAC Playoff Champions and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. St. Catherine was defeated in the first round with a loss to University of Chicago. in 2017, St. Kate's finished in 5th place overall in the MIAC with a season record of 9-7-4. Five student-athletes earned MIAC All-Conference post-season honors, the most in program history.
Campos joined the Wildcat soccer program in 2017 after spending the past five years at Macalester College. As an assistant coach with the Scots women's soccer program, Campos assisted with day- to-day operations, including recruiting, team training, scouting and game film analysis.
In addition to his experience at Macalester, Campos currently serves as the College Advising Coordinator and Girls Academy head coach for St. Croix Soccer Club in Stillwater, Minnesota. Campos also worked in a similar roll with Salvo Soccer Club where he was the College Advising Director and prior to that REV Soccer Club as the Academy Director.
Before joining Macalester's staff, Campos served as an assistant coach at Cretin-Derham Hall and for various youth programs and club teams in the Twin Cities area. He was also an assistant coach for the men's club soccer team at University of California-Irvine. Campos graduated from UC-Irvine in 2006.