FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University is pleased to announce Jaison Jones as the institution's first-ever Women's Flag Football head coach. Jones has a wealth of football coaching experience, having coached at various levels over the past decade. Most recently he served as an assistant at an Omaha high school and was also an assistant coach for a team in the Women's National Football Conference (WNFC).
"Jaison's coaching experience combined with experience coaching female athletes was something we were looking for in our first-ever head coach," said Dave Gillespie, Midland University Director of Athletics. "He has a background in flag football from his days as a youth coach and is very active in growing and cultivating the sport of football for female athletes."
Jones comes to Midland with over ten years of experience. He started coaching at the pop warner flag football level in 2008 and has progressed up through the high school and semi-professional levels. Last season he served as an assistant with Omaha Northwest High School and was also the defensive coordinator for the Nebraska Nite Hawks of the WNFC.
Earlier this spring an initiative to bring women's flag football to the collegiate level as a varsity sports was led by a partnership between the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), National Football League (NFL) and Reigning Champs Experiences (RCX).
Midland University has experienced record growth over the last decade and is recognized as Nebraska's fastest-growing college. The university also has the largest athletic department in the state with 33 varsity sports offered. Students are drawn to the institution's dynamic course and athletic offerings, scholarship opportunities, and inclusive community.
Women's flag football is currently an emerging sport at the NAIA level, with 15 schools sponsoring the sport. Plans are underway to grow the sport even more with the goal of achieving invitational status (over 25 schools participating) as early as 2022.