Two new head coaches and a program director join the Huskies in 2024-25
Dreams come true for Baseball’s Eddie Smith
As a Little Leaguer and high schooler growing up in Olympia, Eddie Smith always dreamed of playing baseball at the University of Washington.
“The UW was the epitome of an elite school in a community and state that so proudly cheered on the purple and gold. I longed to be a Husky!” says Coach Smith. “But that wasn’t in the cards for me.”
He played ball at Centralia Community College and Notre Dame instead. “But my dreams still came true,” he proclaims, when he became the new Head Coach of Husky Baseball.
Before coming to Washington, Coach Smith was hailed as one of the best offensive minds in college baseball. He spent 16 years as an Assistant Coach at several of the nation’s best programs before becoming Head Coach at Utah Valley. He took UVU from a 10-47 record in 2021 to a 34-24 mark in 2023 and a program-record 18 WAC wins in 2024.
“It’s going to be a fun journey and an exciting time to build this new Husky team,” he says. “The fruit is there to be picked and part of the process is to build, build, build. We’re going to formulate good habits and cultural foundations and attack recruiting hard.”
Coach Smith graduated from Notre Dame in 2006. He is married to Jennifer, an NCAA National Championship rower from the University of Virginia. The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Cynthia, in 2022.
Jessa Hansen Parker coaches ‘the person before the athlete’
She wanted to be a teacher, not a coach. Then she discovered she could be both.
“As a student-athlete and Assistant Coach at Iowa, and as an Assistant at Cal and UC Davis, I was able to turn a lifelong passion for gymnastics and teaching into a career,” says Gymnastics’ new Head Coach Jessa Hansen Parker.
“My philosophy is to coach the person before the athlete. I want to really get to know them and understand how we can help them flourish into amazing human beings, not just in the gym or in school but in life. I want my student-athletes to be ready to tackle life when they leave the UW.”
In her pre-collegiate career, Coach Parker teamed with 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson at Chow’s Gymnastics, the same club that later produced Team USA members Gabby Douglas and Rachel Gowey. She graduated in 2012 from the University of Iowa, where she was a four-year letterwinner who earned two All-Big Ten selections and three Academic All-Big Ten titles.
Washington fit her values, says Coach Parker, who is married to Bryan, a teacher.
“The UW attracts some of the brightest minds. I’m so impressed with our student-athletes’ motivation to be the best they can in the gym, with academics, and with their goals to become exceptional human beings,” she says. “As a first-time head coach, I want to be surrounded by people who will support me and push me. I’ve been amazed by the friendship and camaraderie here at Washington. I see great opportunities to grow.”
Living life through dance leads Husky Spirit Director to the UW
Growing up in a small town in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, Robert Tovar loved his Hispanic heritage and his family’s small-town values.
“But to fulfill my dreams of living life through the art of dance, I knew I had to burst out of that bubble,” says the new Director of Spirit, who leads UW’s cheer, dance and mascot teams. “The University of Washington gave me that opportunity.”
Robert joined Husky Spirit as the Dance Coach in 2021 and earned his promotion last year. A competitive dance team member in high school and college, Robert earned a degree in Dance, Performance and Choreography from Stephen F. Austin State University. He served as an Assistant Coach at his alma mater while also working for the National Dance Alliance.
In January, UW Spirit placed third in Spirit Game Day at the UCA and UDA College Nationals Competition — the first medal in program history!
“Young women and men learn so much from being cheerleaders, dance team members and mascots at Washington,” he says. “They build lifelong skills in time management, problem-solving, teamwork, and to ultimately become their own best cheerleaders.”
