Linda Schirmeister-Gess is entering her first season as the Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Emory & Henry College. Hired on April 20, 2012, she is the fourth head coach in program history.

Schirmeister-Gess comes to E&H from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania where she served as an assistant coach for the past two seasons. During that time, the Gators posted a 25-7-7 overall record and were the North Coast Athletic Conference Regular Season Co-Champions in 2011. Allegheny reached the NCAC Tournament final in both years and earned an at-large bid to the 2010 NCAA Division III Tournament, only its third trip to the national tournament in program history.

While at Allegheny, Schirmeister-Gess coached 12 All-NCAC players, one NCAC Newcomer of the Year and a NCAC Defensive Player of the Year.  She was responsible for developing on-field and off-field training regimens for the players and organized fitness testing as well. Schirmeister-Gess was also responsible for video analysis, recruiting, travel planning and was the liaison for individual player study hours.

A 2010 graduate of Slippery Rock University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, Schirmeister-Gess was a four-year letterwinner as a midfielder for the The Rock.  She was a member of the2007 team which won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division title and reached the PSAC Tournament Championship. SRU also received three at-large bids to the NCAA Division II Tournament during Schirmeister-Gess’ career.

Schirmeister-Gess also served as the Co-Director of the Allegheny Team camp and was a head coach for soccer camps at the University of Pittsburgh and Slippery Rock. She has been extensively involved in mission work, traveling to Haiti and New Orleans with the Forgotten Angels, a non-profit organization for student-athletes to help under-privileged children, and also the Democratic Republic of the Congo as an individual.

Additionally, Schirmeister-Gess has worked with the PA West Soccer Association in its Olympic Development Program as an assistant coach for the U-15 girls’ team and served as a co-director for the Sports Challenge Leadership Academy.

Born in Frankfurt, Germany and raised in London, England, Schirmeister-Gess started her playing career for Watford Ladies Football Club, the leading women’s club in Hertfordshire. She holds a Level One Coaching Badge from The FA, and has attended the National Coaches Institute and Positive Coaching Alliance in here in the United States. Schirmeister-Gess is also a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NCSAA).

Rachel Preston is in her first year as Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach at Emory & Henry College. She served as the program's Interim Head Coach from October to April, posting a 3-4 record, including a thrilling 1-0 overtime victory at Randolph College on October 12. 

Preston is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the team including all practice sessions and matches, organization of program travel, recruiting, and equipment. Preston will also maintain relationships with soccer alumni and the larger community and coordinate special events.

In addition to her duties in the athletic department, Preston serves as an Admissions Counselor for E&H focusing primarily on Southwest Virginia.

Preston was a four-year letterwinner for the Wasps as a midfielder playing from the 2006-09 seasons and served as a team captain as a senior.

An active member of the campus community as an undergraduate, Preston was a member of Cardinal Key, the Emory & Henry Tutoring Program, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and was Vice President of E&H’s Student Government. 

Preston received multiple awards including Outstanding Senior in Public Policy & Community Service, E&H Most Outstanding Female Senior, the Scholar-Athlete Award for Women’s Soccer and Women’s Athletics and the Hall Award for exceptional leadership in Women’s Athletics in the Spring of 2010.

Preston is a 2010 graduate of Emory & Henry with a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Community Service with a contextual support area in Psychology and Sociology. A native of Abingdon, she now resides in Glade Spring.