With the landscape of the country's hottest new sport ever-changing, the Lopes are changing with it.
GCU Club Sports officials have tabbed
Jensen Joaquin to be the first full-time head coach of
GCU Club Women's Flag Football. Joaquin becomes only the second head coach in the team's history, following Brian Tice, who led the Lopes through their first two seasons. Joaquin takes over the reins of the program effective immediately.
"Jensen has a strong vision for this program," said
GCU Club Sports Director Dr. Dan Nichols. "Her community ties will be invaluable for building for the future."
Joaquin steps into the role with flag football coaching experience that traces directly back to the sport's high school ranks in the Valley and surrounding areas. Three seasons ago, Joaquin was an assistant coach for the Vista Grande High School girls flag football program in her hometown of Casa Grande, teaching fundamentals, building practice progressions, and developing game strategy for the team. She was also a special education English teacher at the school that year. Joaquin then moved from south of the Phoenix area to west of it, signing on as a volunteer coach at Buckeye's Canyon View High School in the summer of 2024, spending the next two years there while also substitute teaching in both Glendale and Peoria for a year.
Joaquin hasn't just spent the last few years overseeing flag football players; she's been one of them. A star infielder on the softball diamond at both Casa Grande High and Scottsdale Community College, Joaquin branched out into flag football, taking the reins as quarterback in The Proving Grounds (Men's) Flag Football League in the Phoenix area in 2020 - giving her valuable experience she might not otherwise have gotten in the sport – and continuing to be a signal-caller for her travel team.
"The Proving Grounds League provided my team, The Drip, with a home play against the men's teams, since there wasn't a women's league where we could play consistently," said Joaquin. "TPG has always been helpful in supporting our women's team to get consistent reps as the game of women's flag grew."
Joaquin's coaching résumé extends beyond flag football as well. Her softball playing days served Joaquin well when she became the head varsity softball coach at St. Mary's High School in Phoenix during the 2020-21 season. She also worked as a strength and conditioning intern coach for League of Champions for three years.
Outside of athletics, Joaquin brings a background steeped in mentorship and youth development. She comes to GCU after serving as a Youth Corrections Officer at Adobe Mountain School, a role she held for the past 15 months. Prior to her teaching career, Joaquin spent eight years in the health and wellness industry as a Corporate Ambassador for One Stop Nutrition. After earning her Associate of Arts degree from SCC, Joaquin then graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Arizona State University.
