NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Doug and Lisa Jones of Westlake Village, California have made a gift to the University of Notre Dame to endow the women’s soccer head coach position.
“The generosity from Doug and Lisa in providing this gift to our women’s soccer program will pay dividends for years to come to support our student-athletes, coaches and staff,” said University Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick. “The Joneses know from the Notre Dame experience they had with their daughter, Ashley, that at the heart of our mission is our student-athletes and this endowment helps us have world class coach-educators like Nate Norman at the helm of one of our historically elite programs.”
This gift will help underwrite the salary of the coach, provide stability and resources for the long term and create funds for use within the athletics department. Nate Norman will become the first Doug and Lisa Jones Family Head Women’s Soccer Coach. Norman, a 2007 Notre Dame graduate and former soccer student-athlete, currently is in his third season as head coach of the Fighting Irish.
“It is an amazing honor to become the first Doug and Lisa Jones Family women’s soccer coach,” said Norman. “On behalf of our team, staff and all of our alumni, we want to thank Doug and Lisa for their support of our program. It is people like this that allow us to serve our student-athletes in the best way possible, develop them into people that will grow in every facet of their lives and be inspired to go out and be a powerful force for good in this world.”
The Joneses have a strong connection to the Fighting Irish women’s soccer program as their daughter, Ashley Jones Penn, is a 2008 and 2009 Notre Dame graduate and former member of the team. While earning four Monograms with the Fighting Irish, she helped Notre Dame win the 2004 NCAA Championship and advance to the College Cup Final Four in three of her four years. She was a two-time first team Academic All-American as an accounting major. Her husband, Jonathon, is also a 2008 Notre Dame graduate and majored in finance.
Doug is the President of PennyMac Financial Services, Inc., a mortgage financial services firm, as well as PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust, a qualified REIT. He graduated from California State University, Sacramento in 1978 with a degree in economics. Lisa is a 1979 graduate from California State University, Sacramento. She received her degree in accounting. Their son, Brian, played soccer at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and was an accounting major.
“We distinctly and fondly remember our time as the parents of student-athletes,” said Doug Jones. “Before our daughter committed to play for the Fighting Irish, we visited campus on a cold weekend in February. From Southern California and without a prior connection to Notre Dame, we made the long trip home discussing excellence, education, faith, community, and tradition, rather than the two feet of snow on the ground. We realized Notre Dame was unique, a place where our daughter would be athletically and academically challenged and supported by a family away from home.
“For four years, we watched our daughter and her teammates grow on and off the field, as players, students, and most importantly, human beings. The Fighting Irish student-athlete experience was an unparalleled preparation for life. Along with our daughter, we and our entire family joined a family away from home within Notre Dame Athletics and a family full of special people we remain close with today. We reflect on the student-athlete experience with joy and reverence, and we know the experience will continue to positively impact our lives for many years to come.”
Doug and Lisa have a long history of contributing to Notre Dame Athletics. They are members of the Rockne Athletics Fund’s Jesse Harper Council. The Jones Family is actively engaged in the Jesse Harper Council MVP (Most Valuable Pairing Program) and serve as mentors to women’s soccer student-athletes.
“We are immensely grateful for the opportunities, experiences, and relationships afforded to us through Notre Dame Athletics,” said Doug Jones. “We want to ensure similar opportunities, experiences, and relationships are possible for current and future Notre Dame student-athletes and their families.”
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