Jennifer Childress-White

Jennifer Childress-White came to PLU in April 2013 as the head women’s basketball coach and transitioned to Assistant Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator in the spring of 2020. In addition to her athletic administration roles, she also became PLU’s Title IX Coordinator. In the summer of 2023, Jennifer accepted the position of Assistant Dean of Students and continues to serve as Title IX Coordinator.

Childress-White served as Western Washington University’s associate head coach from 2006 through 2013. As that program’s recruiting coordinator, she helped bring in the players that ended up making a deep run into the 2013 Division II national tournament. Western Washington lost in the national semifinals to eventual national champion Ashland (Ohio), and WWU finished its most recent season with a 29-4 record. During this time with the program the Vikings compiled an overall 145-50 win-loss record.

Prior to serving as Western Washington’s associate head coach, Jennifer was the head assistant coach at Cal State-San Bernardino from 2002-06. Before that she was a part-time assistant at Western Washington from 2001-02, and she got her start in coaching as the girls basketball head coach at Meridian High School in Bellingham from 1995-2001.

Childress-White’s background and majority of experience is in education. She taught middle school for three years right out of college, then taught physical education and health at the high school level for an additional seven years.

Childress-White graduated with honors from Wenatchee Valley College in 1989, where she won the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges’ Art Fiero Award as the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1989. She was a three-sport athlete at George Fox University in Newberg, Ore., graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1992, and earned her Master in Education degree from City University in 2001.