Roquemore excited to lead Louisburg girls soccer as new head coach

Jordan Roquemore has had a unique path to becoming a soccer coach.

He wasn’t always the biggest soccer fan growing up, but played in high school and then another year in college. With every passing year, his admiration for the game grew.

“I would say my soccer background is unconventional,” Roquemore said. “My first experiences with soccer came from playing at grade school recess and by watching the USWNT win the 1999 World Cup. Without knowing much about soccer, I learned to love the game.” 

That respect for the sport eventually led him to the sidelines as an assistant coach, including the last four with the Louisburg girls soccer program. Now, he is ready to lead a program of his own.

Over the summer, Roquemore was hired to become the third head coach in the history of Louisburg girls soccer. He replaced former coach Ben York, who coached the Wildcats the last two seasons.

“I feel tremendously honored to take over as head coach,” Roquemore said. “It’s an amazing opportunity to take over an exceptional program with a great group of athletes, supportive parents and invested community members. I don’t take the responsibility lightly, but I am also really excited.”

The Wildcat program has been a successful one since its inception in 2016. During that span, Louisburg has racked up two state runner-up finishes, four state final four appearances and six regional titles.

Roquemore served as an assistant coach for two years under the program’s first coach, Kyle Conley, and then for the last two years under York.

“I am grateful for the experiences under every one of the three head coaches I have gotten to work with over the years,” Roquemore said. “I’ve seen three distinct styles of coaching and play as an assistant. Every one of them has made an impact in how I see the game and afforded me opportunities to learn and grow. 

“The first coach I ever served under in Texas, David Collins, is still a mentor for me today. However, I learned so much while serving with all of them: strategy, team dynamics and culture, running effective practices and ultimately, what it takes to win games.”

It is that experience in Texas that helped shape Roquemore’s passion for the game.

“The Brook Hill School in Bullard, Tex., hired me as an English teacher and happened to have an assistant soccer position available,” he said. “My main motivation in applying was to supplement my salary, but it ended up changing the course of my career. 

“For three years, I was the assistant and goalie coach for the girls team while we won two state championships. For me, it transformed my understanding of the game and how to coach it. I wouldn’t be here now if not for that experience.”

Joining Roquemore will be Louisburg alum Lily McDaniel, who was hired as the Wildcat assistant coach. McDaniel was a part of several of those Wildcat teams that made state appearances.

As far as what will change with the program, that remains to be seen, but Roquemore isn’t ready to fix what isn’t broken. Still, he wants to put his own fingerprints on the program.

“This will be my fifth year with the program and I have a great deal of respect for the norms and traditions we have established,” he said. “Much of the basic structure of the program will remain the same: strong community, high expectations, and a major focus on building positive relationships and good human beings. But there will be changes. We are going to be working on developing a fluid, adaptive, and offensively-dangerous style of play. I want to make the most of the talent, athleticism and intelligence we have in our group.

“As a coach, I have also learned the importance of being yourself and finding what works for you. I’m not going to pretend to be anyone else since that wouldn’t be helpful to me or the team. I love soccer. I love coaching and I love this team. My hope is to run a successful program with a high degree of excellence where kids can grow, enjoy themselves, and be challenged. That hope will be backed by building the culture, expectations, operations and communication needed to make that goal a reality.”