Jessica Giegucz ‘beyond excited’ to take over as Duquesne’s new Women’s Soccer Head Coach

Duquesne University Vice President of Athletics Dave Harper announced Friday that Jessica Giegucz  has been named women’s soccer head coach.

“As the search process played out, it became apparent that the qualifications Jessica brought to the table were the perfect fit at Duquesne University and for our women’s soccer program,” Harper said.

“Her attention to detail, vision and sustained success at Slippery Rock will help elevate our program. Jessica has a passion for the sport, is driven to succeed and we’re excited to welcome her to Duquesne. We look forward to supporting Jessica and the program moving forward.”

Giegucz replaced Al Alvine, who spent the previous 13 seasons on the Bluff at the helm of the program.  Alvine had to step aside early in the 2024 season, making way for Dave Gray to lead the program as interim coach through the remainder of the campaign, which the Dukes finished with an overall record of 9-7-1 (.559), backed by a strong junior class.  The Dukes finished 11th (3-6-1) in the 15-team Atlantic 10 in 2024.

Giegucz (pronounced Guy-giss) spent the last 10 years as head coach at NCAA Division II Slippery Rock, where she amassed an impressive record of 104-48-24 (.659).

In seven of those seasons, Giegucz guided the Rock to at least 10 wins, and SRU also qualified for nine consecutive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament appearances. In 2019, Slippery Rock finished with an overall record of 18-4 (.818), including a mark of 14-2 (.875) in the PSAC. That season culminated with a 2-1 win over Edinboro in the PSAC Tournament final, earning The Rock an automatic berth in the 2019 NCAA Championship.

“I’m beyond excited to be the next head coach for Duquesne women’s soccer,” Giegucz said.

“It’s an honor to be able to lead these great women going forward and to celebrate the previous successes of this incredible program. I want to thank Dave Harper, Rick Christensen and the entire administration for their confidence in my appointment and for trusting in me to guide the women’s soccer program. I’m grateful for the 10 years spent at Slippery Rock and am proud of the accomplishments of the student-athletes and want to extend appreciation to all my former players for their commitment to the program and to bettering themselves both on and off the field. I’m eager to begin working with the student-athletes at Duquesne University and to guide them to set, achieve and celebrate all of their goals going forward.”

During her tenure at SRU, Giegucz coached and mentored a total of 44 All-PSAC selections, including two PSAC West Athlete of the Year honorees and one PSAC West Freshman of the Year selection. In 2019, forward Rachel Edge was named PSAC West Athlete of the Year as a sophomore, while senior Madison Johnson was tabbed PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year. The previous season, midfielder Jordyn Minda was named the 2018 PSAC West Freshman of the Year.

In addition to the multiple PSAC plaudits at Slippery Rock under Giegucz, a total of 23 student-athletes earned United Soccer Coaches (USC) All-Atlantic Region accolades, including three this past season. Seniors Nina King and Sydney Patrick and junior Libby Zacharyasz each were named to the 2024 USC All-Atlantic Region Team. In her first year leading SRU in 2015, Giegucz tutored forward Dara Demich, who was selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-America Third Team.

Slippery Rock also excelled academically under the watchful eye of Giegucz, as four of her student-athletes earned USC Scholar All-America status as well as were named to a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America® Team. In addition, SRU regularly boasted one of the top team GPAs in the PSAC.

Giegucz, a native Guilford, Conn., began her head coaching career in Ashland, Wisc., at NCAA Division III Northland College, where she posted a record of 11-9-1 (.548) in 2014 before being named the head coach at Slippery Rock. In 11 seasons as a head coach, Giegucz owns an overall record of 115-57-25 (.647).

A decorated student-athlete at Dickinson College, Giegucz finished her career with 88 points thanks to 34 goals and 20 assists. She concluded her career with the Red Devils ranked fourth in program history in both goals and points and in each of her four years was an All-Centennial Conference selection. In 2005, Giegucz helped guide Dickinson to its first NCAA Division III Championship, where the Red Devils advanced to the Round of 16.

Giegucz, who is a 2007 graduate of Dickinson with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish, began her coaching career as an assistant coach at Shippensburg from 2010-13. The Raiders compiled 33 wins during that stretch as well as two PSAC Tournament appearances. In 2017, Giegucz earned a Master of Science degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Lock Haven.

Duquesne finished with an overall record of 9-7-1 (.559) during the 2024 season and was led by its junior class, which accounted for 74 of the 93 points (79.6%). The Dukes are slated to return eight of their 11 starters in 2025.