Former Franklin Regional player, Mt. Pleasant assistant Garland eager to get started as coach of Riverview girls soccer

By: Michael Love
Tuesday, April 15, 2025 | 5:21 PM

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Jessica Garland honed her skills as a high school soccer coach the past decade as an assistant to her father, Rich, at her alma mater, Franklin Regional, and for the past five seasons at Mt. Pleasant.

She now is getting her chance as a head coach.

Garland on Monday evening was hired as the girls soccer coach at Riverview, and she said she is excited to get to know the players and help maintain a level of success produced in recent seasons under the direction of Sean Abraham.

Abraham stepped down as the Raiders girls coach earlier this year after eight years at the helm.

He helped return the program to active status in 2021 after low numbers caused the 2020 season to be canceled.

Riverview was on the rise from there and enjoyed a 2023 season during which it finished as the WPIAL and PIAA Class A runner-up.

Last year, the Raiders finished 12-4 and made it to the WPIAL quarterfinals.

“Riverview girls soccer has such a strong history, and they’ve always maintained that with talented and dedicated players,” Garland said. “I love that it is a small community which really rallies around and supports their teams. I think this will be a great opportunity. I am really looking forward to getting with the girls soon, getting to know them and building up the program even more.”

Six seniors moved on from the 2024 team, but the 2025 Raiders will see a strong core return led by section all-stars Juliette Brun (defender/goalkeeper), Alix Delsaut (midfielder/forward), Hannah Hudack (midfielder) and Mary Quinlan (midfielder/forward).

“I am very much immersed in following all things soccer, so I’ve followed their scores and have seen what they’ve been able to do over the past few years,” Garland said. “They have a lot of girls coming back who will have the desire to keep the winning going.”

Riverview athletic director Andre Carter said he is excited to have Garland get started.

“We had some really good candidates come in, and the thing that impressed us is how hungry she is to have it be her time to take the reigns of a program,” Carter said. “She is ready for this opportunity. It is a clean slate for us and for her as well. I know she will be able to keep us moving in the right direction.”

Garland wrapped up her high school playing career as a senior for Frankin Regional in 2009. She helped the Panthers that season finish third in their section at 10-4 and reach the Class 3A playoffs.

Franklin Regional beat Connellsville in a preliminary-round game before falling to No. 1 Moon in the first round.

Garland didn’t play in college at Chatham. With the focus on academics, she graduated with a degree in business marketing and now runs an insurance agency in White Oak.

While beginning her insurance career, Garland maintained her passion for soccer and started her coaching career with her father during his tenure at Franklin Regional. She continued as an assistant when he became the Mt. Pleasant coach during the covid year in 2020.

Garland said it always was in the back of her mind to have her own team someday.

“I absolutely loved coaching with my dad, so this was a hard decision because of that,” she said. “I have been able to learn so much from him since I was young about how he coaches and what goes into it and all the hard work he puts into it over the year. I’ve had a front-row seat for what it takes to be a successful head coach.”

Garland also credited former Franklin Reginal girls soccer coach Kurt Landsberg for guiding her path toward becoming a head coach.

“Kurt started my freshman year of high school, and he was there until we left Franklin Regional,” she said. “I also really followed him around and soaked up every bit of knowledge I could from him. I had two really good mentors to learn from.”

Her last on-field duty as a Mt. Pleasant assistant was the opportunity to coach a team at the Western Pennsylvania High School Girls Soccer Coaches Association all-star games in November in Bethel Park.

“It was just great to see all that talent come together from the senior classes. It was a lot of fun,” she said. “To coach with Blair (Gerlach) from Mars and Josh (Pajak) from Southmoreland, it was a great experience. I was so grateful for that.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Riverview