Jackie Altschuld enters her second year as an assistant coach for USD women's soccer in 2025. Altschuld made her return to San Diego as an addition to the coaching staff prior to the 2024 season, following her standout career as both a player at USD and in the professional ranks.
Altschuld played for the Toreros from 2013-17. Following her tenure as a player, Altschuld turned her attention to her professional and coaching career. Most recently, Altschuld had been the girls soccer head coach at Viewpoint High School. Prior to that, Altschuld worked alongside head coach Greg LaPorte as a volunteer assistant coach at UC San Diego from 2018 to 2023, as she aided the program through their transition to Division I.
In her first season as assistant under Head Coach Greg LaPorte, the staff inherited a team which had won just one match the year prior. They tripled that win total in 2024 including the program's first conference win since 2021 and a draw in the season finale against national No. 11 Santa Clara.
Within the first roster overhaul, 42.8% of the team's goals, 41.7% of assists, 100% of goalkeeper minutes and the vast majority of defensive back line minutes came from underclassmen in 2024. Defender Ella Callanan embodied the youthful development under the USD staff, earning WCC All-Freshman.
Prior coaching experience includes a stint as the girls 2015s head coach of the La Jolla Impact youth team in 2022-23 and as an assistant coach at Francis Parker High School and El Camino Real Charter High School.
On the pitch, Altschuld recently finished up a seven-year professional playing career, most recently serving as team captain for FC Honka in Finland. Before that, Altschuld spent the 2022 season playing for the San Diego Wave in the NWSL.
Prior to her time with the Wave, Altschuld played for three seasons at Tindastóll in Iceland, where she was a prolific player for the club. Altschuld tallied nine goals and 13 assists in 2019 and helped the club finish third. In 2020, Altschuld scored seven goals and nine assists over 18 games and was named to the 2020 Team of the Year, as she helped lead the club to the Pepsi Max division for the first time in team history by winning the Lengjudeild League Championship. Altschuld would start all 18 games in her final season with the club in 2021.
Her professional career began with 10 appearances at Medkila IL in Norway in 2017, before joining DFK Varmbol in Sweden in 2018.
Over her decorated four-year career as a Torero, Altschuld shined, scoring 17 goals and adding 18 assists, while playing in 78 games. A four-year letter winner and team captain, Altschuld was a two-time All-WCC First Team honoree and earned at least one All-WCC distinction all four years, while also being named to the WCC All-Freshman Team.
In addition, Altschuld earned All-NCAA West Region honors in 2014. Also during her time as a Torero, Altschuld helped lead the Toreros to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014. Altschuld ranks in a tie for fourth on the Toreros all-time points list with 52 and in a tie for sixth in assists with 18.
Altschuld graduated from the University of San Diego in 2017 with a degree in communication studies.
