By Jody met Derek Wynn in her junior year at Southern California. Derek, then a student at Cal State Fullerton, coached high school basketball.
“A mutual friend of ours, who was a football player at USC introduced us,” Jody said. “It was late in my junior year; he came to a couple games, and so we dated a couple of years.”
They worked together under current New Mexico State women’s basketball coach Mark Trakh at Pepperdine and USC. Under Trakh, Jody and Derek learned their signature full-court press approach.
Now the head coach of LBSU women’s basketball, Jody treats her team like family. As her husband, Derek is on the coaching staff, which adds a unique dimension to the 49ers’ team makeup.
“They see her in a different light,” Derek said. “They see her as a mother, a coach and a wife. It’s an open book with us.”
The cohesive identity that the Wynns have established at LBSU gives the players a different perspective on the game.
“It really helps us with our camaraderie,” senior guard Hallie Meneses said. “You don’t think about yourself, you think about the team. When you think about family, you think about being together.”
Working together presents different challenges for Jody and Derek. They have to adapt to hectic schedules, game planning and recruiting Division I talent – all while raising a family.
Derek said that after 16 years of working in the same coaching staff, he and his wife have found a healthy balance between their marriage and careers.
“A lot of people tend to think it’s terrible,” Jody said. “We think it’s great. We get to raise a family on a college campus, and there’s no better atmosphere to bring your kids to.”
The couple’s two daughters, Kaeli and Jada, have started showing the same passion for basketball as their parents. Derek said Kaeli broke out in tears after the tough 47-46 loss against first-placed Hawaii on Feb. 26.
“Sometimes they’re still talking about the game and saying, ‘Why did she do this’ and ‘Why did you call that,’” Derek said. “And they love to see us win just as much as we do.”
The family atmosphere translates to success on the court. Jody’s breakthrough moment as head coach came in 2012 when the 49ers knocked off the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the Big West Conference Tournament.
Now in her sixth season at LBSU, Jody has led the 49ers to the their highest win total since the 1999-00 season. Jody said the biggest contribution to the 49ers’ transformation this season has been the players’ dedication to their work ethic and defensive intensity.
“The girls on our team are our family,” Jody said. “It’s an extended family of ours.”
