Many DePaul coaches were once Blue Demon athletes themselves, with sports ranging from basketball and soccer to golf, track and beyond. The DePaulia spoke with some of the alumni coaches to see what brings them back to campus. 

Many said it’s a shared passion for their sport and a desire to return to the community that helped shape them. For these alumni, returning to DePaul is more than a job opportunity. They are returning “home.”

Liz Bouck-Jagielski — Head coach, softball

Liz Bouck-Jagielski, a member of the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame, graduated in 2004 and went on to play professional softball for the Texas Thunder and Chicago Bandits. She became head coach of the DePaul softball team in 2024 after taking a 10-year break from the sport to pursue motherhood. Bouck-Jagielski said the head coach position remained in the back of her mind, and that the timing was perfect when the job opened up.

“I was a first-year head coach and they gave me an opportunity to jump in,” Bouck-Jagielski said. “I want to make that count.”

She said her role is about more than competition; it is about shaping young women to be strong leaders in the workforce.

“That’s what DePaul is — giving people opportunity and letting them fulfill their dream,” Bouck-Jagielski said.

She said her favorite memory as a student-athlete was playing in the Women’s College World Series her freshman year alongside her sister who was a DePaul senior at the time.

Mark Plotkin — Head coach, men’s soccer

Mark Plotkin graduated from DePaul in 2010 and returned as an assistant coach soon after. Even as a student-athlete, coaching was on his mind. 

“I knew I wanted to coach in some capacity when I was in college,” Plotkin said.

As a student, he said he admired the administration and loved the tight-knit community DePaul fosters.

“It’s big-time athletics in a massive city, but it had a much smaller feel in the athletic department,” Plotkin said. “You get to know all the other student athletes. You know who all the coaches are.”

Plotkin hopes that, under his watch as coach, members of his team  will treasure their time as  DePaul athletes. 

“You know wins and loses come and go — those are statistics in a sheet,” he said. “But for me, it’s just about what their experience is like and do they want to keep coming back.”

Jessica January — Assistant coach, women’s basketball

Jessica January, a 2017 DePaul graduate, played five seasons of professional basketball in Poland after she left the university. In May, she decided to come back to her alma mater as an assistant coach.

“I can’t describe how it feels to be back and be around this family,” January said. “I feel so comfortable and excited to be in this environment.”

As a student athlete, she never considered coaching in her future. But her perspective changed over the last few years while playing pro basketball.

January said there are aspects of coaching that, as a player, she never thought about.

“I’m realizing there’s so much, there’s desk work, there’s recruiting, practice planning,” January said. 

Now, she is learning from head coach Jill Pizzotti — who she played under — and embracing the opportunity for growth in the role.

Whether it’s developing leaders, fostering lifelong memories or helping students chase their dreams, these coaches are continuing the legacy they once lived.

Ryan Jamison — Head coach, men’s golf

Ryan Jamison earned his bachelor’s degree from DePaul in 2005 and later returned for graduate school, making him a “Double Demon.” He served as head golf coach at Florida Atlantic University and caddied on the PGA Tour. He said returning to a program that is close to his heart felt like a natural next step.

DePaul has “always been a good stop for me in my career,” Jamison said. “Just a very humble place.”

Jamison aims to grow the program and contribute to the athletes’ positive experience playing for DePaul. Down the line, he hopes to see the players on the golf team become successful 20 to 30 years from now. He said he also would like to help prepare them for life outside DePaul.

He emphasized DePaul’s culture of investing in each student-athlete.

“It’s really the people here that really make this place,” Jamison said.

Related Stories:

• Back In Blue: Assistant coaches, DePaul crafted
• DePaul alum Ryan Jamison takes the helm as men’s golf coach
• ‘Coach Liz’ is ready to help DePaul softball win