Jessee was named Saint Leo women's basketball head coach on April 11, 2011. She is entering her second season with the Lions. 

Jessee completed her first season for the Lions guiding them to seven wins. Posting six consecutive wins to the start the campaign, the Lions earned key victories over West Florida and Valdosta State. The Lions, who finished the season playing competitive basketball, saw both Chelsea Williams and Chelsea Connelly make a dent in the Sunshine State Conference statistical standings as Williams finished in the top-15 in scoring and Connelly finished in the top-five in blocks. 

Previously, Jessee served as the assistant women’s basketball coach at Sunshine State Conference perennial contender the University of Tampa. Jessee is the 11th coach in program history.

Familiar with Division II and the Sunshine State Conference, Jessee has developed a lengthy and successful resume over her 12 years of coaching. Her latest head coaching stint came with Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. While there, she helped turn the Fighting Knights’ squad into an instant competitor in the Sunshine State Conference, guiding them to a program-best start while also earning national recognition in the WBCA Top-25 poll and NCAA South Region rankings, both team firsts.

Prior to her time with the Fighting Knights, Jessee was tabbed as the head coach of Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tennessee. At Martin, she guided the team to the best start in program history at 13-2, collected the team’s first conference tournament win, all while compiling the most wins in school history.

Jessee has also manned successful sidelines as an assistant over the course of her career, her latest coming at the University of Tampa where she served as the assistant under head coach and husband, Tom Jessee. In 2009-10, she aided the Spartans to a regular season Sunshine State Conference Championship.

In addition, prior to her arrival at Martin Methodist College, Jessee coached at Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn., where she was the recruiting coordinator from 2003-04.  She spent two years, 2000-02, at Campbell University, where she helped guide the Lady Camels to an Atlantic Sun Regular Season Championship and runner-up finish at the Atlantic Sun Tournament.

A Florida native, she began her coaching career in Lakeland, Fla., where she helped guide George Jenkins High School to the State Finals in the 1999-2000 season. Jessee was then named head coach at Lyman High in Orlando, Fla.

Jessee has amassed 70 wins during her five seasons as a head coach, and has developed an astute knowledge for the game since her days as a student-athlete. A local talent, Jessee competed as a high school All-American at Lakeland High School before taking her talents to the University of Florida in one of the top recruiting classes in the country. After two years in the blue and orange, Jessee dressed for conference opponent Rollins College for the final three years of her career.

Topping-off her playing career, Jessee signed a professional contract with the Thames Valley Tigers of Bracknell, England where she led the club in scoring and rebounding.

Transitioning onto the sidelines, Jessee brings a well-rounded vision to the Lions’ program as she looks to secure success in the community, the classroom, and the hardwood. 

She graduated from Rollins in 1999 with a Bachelors Degree in English and received her Master’s from Campbell University in 2001 with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She is the youngest of five children, and has a twin sister.

The former Nikki Sullivan, her daughter Rudi, and her husband Tom reside in Clearwater, Fla.