Utah State University

Jess Brinkerhoff is the Director of Athletics for Utah State University Eastern since January of 2022, Brinkerhoff has already made a significant impact on the growth and refinement of Eastern athletics. He has been instrumental in elevating the athletic department within the Scenic West Athletic Conference, where currently holds several leadership roles, including Region 18 Men’s Region Director, soccer co-sports chair, women’s basketball sports chair, and baseball sports chair. Jess also sits on the following committees at the nation level of the NJCAA; Division I Men’s Soccer, and Clay Target Shooting.

One of Brinkerhoff's first accomplishments as Director of Athletics was implementing a mission statement, vision statement, and core values that now guide the athletic department. These values, including integrity, unity, growth, grit, commitment, and competitiveness, are representative of both the department and Brinkerhoff's personal beliefs. He hopes that all athletes will focus on developing these values while they are Eastern Eagles.

Brinkerhoff has a growth mindset and works closely with other departments on campus, university-wide departments, and throughout the local community to ensure the success of the athletic department. He believes that effective communication, coordination, and a willingness to learn and grow from others are essential to achieving this goal. 
Brinkerhoff has also focused on increasing revenue through fundraising, sponsorships, and summer camps, which has resulted in substantial increases of for each sport, and overall athletic department receiving additional revenue to support student-athletes and increase the competitiveness of each team. He has been able to connect with the community and bring support to over sixty-five sponsors who support the athletic program. 

Additionally, he has added personnel, positions, and spaces to Eastern Athletics, including a dedicated summer camp coordinator, second part-time athletic trainer, and full-time women's soccer coach.

Significant facility upgrades have also taken place under Brinkerhoff's supervision, including the enhancement of the athletic training room, development of two separate, dedicated spaces for athletic weight training and nutritional recovery. Brinkerhoff has also raised funds to have the installation of a new sixteen-by-eight-foot, high-resolution video board and LED scorer's table, which has enhance the fan experience and create additional revenue possibilities for the department with local businesses and corporations.

He has also overseen many programs that have received national recognition in the top 20 and top 10 rankings under his leadership, including volleyball, men's and women's soccer, women's basketball, softball, and rodeo. Brinkerhoff is particularly proud of the sportsmanship the teams at USU Eastern reflects based around the values each coach centers back to the department values.

Brinkerhoff's personal belief is that athletics can be a powerful tool to help individuals grow and develop, both on and off the field. He hopes to create a culture of excellence where student-athletes can thrive and achieve their full potential. His dedication and commitment to excellence have positioned the athletic department at Utah State University Eastern for continued success in the future.

Before becoming the Athletic Director, Brinkerhoff was the Director of Sports Medicine and Athletic Performance. In this role, he oversaw sports medicine and performance for all athletic teams, ensuring that they were healthy and optimally conditioned for their respective seasons. He is also a long-standing instructor and professor, teaching the Introduction to Athletic Training course at Utah State University and teaching the Kinesiology 3100, Athletic Injuries course during the summer semester. In 2019, he served as the Human Anatomy professor at Utah State University for a year, teaching both the lecture and labs while the professor was unable to do so.

Before joining USU Eastern in 2017, Brinkerhoff spent two years honing his skills in sports medicine and performance at Lee Williams High School in Kingman, Arizona. There, he served as the athletic trainer and sports conditioning coach, while also leading the softball team as head coach to a winning season (15-8) as head coach. Brinkerhoff's passion for teaching shone through as he taught sports medicine and medical occupations classes for the high school, earning multiple Teacher of the Month awards.

Brinkerhoff earned his bachelor's degree in athletic training from Southern Utah University and went on to complete his master's degree in Sports Conditioning and Performance while working as a graduate assistant at the same institution. During this time, he worked extensively with the softball, men's basketball, and football teams. He also shared his knowledge by teaching sports medicine and anatomy to local high school students at the Southwest Applied Technology College in Cedar City.

Brinkerhoff hails from the small town of Bicknell in Wayne County, Utah. He currently resides in Price with his best friend and wife, Jessica, and their four children: Jocelyn, Juliet, James, and June.