Queens University of Charlotte’s Sarah Jansen has been named assistant athletic director for student success and game management after serving as the head women’s basketball coach since May of 2016 .
In her new role, Jansen will work collaboratively with the Department of Athletics developing and implementing student-athlete success initiatives to positively impact their collegiate experience, retention, persistence and graduation. Some specifics will include coordinating the academic coaching program for all student-athletes, developing high-impact programming, and overseeing study hall. Jansen will also implement and direct T2U programing for freshmen and sophomore student-athletes.
Prior to coming to Queens in 2016, Jansen served as the head women’s basketball coach at Mars Hill University earning SAC Coach of the Year honors in her final season with the Lions. She was also an assistant coach at Belmont Abbey College and Wofford College.
Jansen earned a degree from the University of South Carolina Upstate majoring in both psychology and criminal justice in 2004. Additionally, she holds a master's degree from California University of Pennsylvania in sports management.
Coaching Bio
Sarah Jansen served four season as the head women's basketball coach at Queens University of Charlotte in 2019-20.
The 2018-19 season was another of marked improvement for the Royals as the team achieved its highest win total in six years. Lade Adepoju once was a SAC All-Conference honoree for the second straight season and freshman Jaleah Goff gained SAC All-Freshman honors.
Queens was one of the top defensive teams in NCAA Division II, ranking among the Top 25 with 20.54 forced turnovers per game and more than 10 steals per contest.
In 2017-18, Queens saw Lade Adepoju garner SAC All-Conference accolades and rank among the league leaders in points per game, rebounds per game and field goal percentage. Additionally, Kristian Eanes earned a spot on the SAC All-Freshman team.
As a team, the Royals improved their scoring average by more than seven points per game and decreased their scoring margin, while also increasing their rebounding average and committing fewer turnovers per game.
In her inaugural season, Jansen led the Royals to an appearance in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament for the first time in program history.
Jansen joined Queens after a four-year stint as the head coach at Mars Hill University (2012-16), where in her final season Jansen was named the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year. In 2015-2016, Jansen led the Lions to a 14-8 record in league play and the No. 4 seed in the SAC postseason tournament, despite an eighth-place preseason ranking. The success afforded Mars Hill the opportunity to host a conference tournament game for the first time since 2006.
In each year of her tenure at Mars Hill Jansen increased the program's win total while also improving the program’s win total in conference games by 350 percent, and leading the squad to back-to-back appearances in the SAC championships after an absence from tournament play that spanned five seasons.
Jansen's players have garnered recognition at the conference, state, regional, and national levels for their individual efforts on the court. While at Mars Hill, she produced back-to-back Female Athlete of the Year recipients as well as a Division II Bulletin All-American, a Daktronics All-Region Selection, a North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) All-State selection and two SAC First Team All-Conference selections. Jansen also guided a player to signing a professional contract to play with the Italian Series A1 and Euro League Team.
Jansen's teams have also excelled in the classroom. In 2016-2017 at Queens, the women’s basketball team featured an Academic All-American and class valedictorian. In her five total seasons as a head coach, Jansen’s teams have been recognized for the highest team GPA in the SAC for women's basketball (2014), while also featuring the SAC Women's Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2014, 2016 and 2017; the 2016 SAC Presidents Award recipient and two Capital One Academic All-District III Selections.
Prior to coaching the Lions, Jansen served as an assistant coach at Belmont Abbey College from 2007-2012. Jansen helped deliver two McDonalds All-American nominees, three North Carolina All-State players, and a 2015 NCAA DII All-American and Conference Carolinas Player of the Year to the program. Jansen started her career at Wofford College where she served as an assistant coach from 2004-2007.
As a player at the University of South Carolina Upstate, Jansen was team captain for three seasons while also posting notable career numbers. She ranks top-10 in career three-point field goals made, three-point field goal percentage, assists and minutes played in Spartan history.
| Year |
School |
Record |
W/L Pct. |
|
| 2012-13 |
Mars Hill |
7-19 |
.269 |
|
| 2013-14 |
Mars Hill |
8-18 |
.308 |
|
| 2014-15 |
Mars Hill |
11-17 |
.393 |
|
| 2015-16 |
Mars Hill |
15-13 |
.536 |
|
| 2016-17 |
Queens (NC) |
5-23 |
.179 |
| 2017-18 |
Queens (NC) |
4-22 |
.154 |
| 2018-19 |
Queens (NC) |
10-16 |
.385 |
