Jessica Braswell is in her second season as the head coach of Auburn equestrian and her 14th overall with the program. Prior to 2023-24, Braswell spent 12 years overseeing the jumping seat discipline.
In her first year as head coach, Braswell guided the Tigers to their sixth-straight Southeastern Conference title and saw seven student-athletes total eight All-American honors. In addition, Ava Stearns secured NCEA Flat Rider of the Year, while Isabella Tesmer was named SEC Reining Rider of the Year and Sophee Steckbeck took SEC Fences Rider of the Year.
In addition, Braswell was named SEC Co-Head Coach of the Year for her team’s performance in 2023-24.
Away from competition, Auburn also exceled in the classroom. The team totaled 10 NCEA All-Academic honors and 22 NCEA Academic Honor Roll awards. In addition, 37 student-athletes earned SEC Academic Honor Roll or SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll honors.
Prior to her role as head of the program, Braswell found a lot of success with the Tigers as the jumping seat coach for 12 seasons.
While in that position, Braswell coached five NCEA Riders of the Year – McKayla Langmeier (Fences – 2019 & 2020); Taylor St. Jacques (Flat – 2019 & 2020; Fences – 2021); Ava Stearns (Flat – 2022), nine SEC Riders of the Year – Elizabeth Benson (Flat – 2016, Fences – 2015); Caitlin Boyle (Fences – 2019); Ellie Ferrigno (Fences – 2023); Hayley Iannotti (Flat – 2018); Emma Kurtz (Fences – 2022); McKayla Langmeier (Fences – 2020); Taylor St. Jacques (Flat – 2019, 2020, 2021; Fences - 2021) and seven SEC Freshman Riders of the Year – Sophee Steckbeck (Flat & Fences – 2022); Ellie Ferrigno (Flat – 2021); Ava Stearns (Flat & Fences – 2020); McKayla Langmeier (Flat & Fences – 2019); Taylor St. Jacques (Flat & Fences – 2018); Caitlin Boyle (Flat & Fences – 2016); Elizabeth Benson (Fences – 2013).
Under her guidance, the Auburn jumping seat program has totaled 61 All-America nods and 60 All-SEC recognitions.
In 2022-23, Braswell was named the NCEA Jumping Seat Coach of the Year after another successful season with the equestrian program.
Ferrigno was named the SEC Fences Rider of the Year under Braswell's guidance. Kurtz and Ferrigno were both placed of the Fences and Flat All-SEC teams. Stearns earned spots on the NCEA All-Championship Teams for Fences and Flat, while Steckbeck was on the Fences team.
As a whole, Auburn finished the season with a 15-3 overall record and a 5-1 mark in Southeastern Conference action. The Tigers captured their fifth-straight SEC title and reached the NCEA Championship match, finishing as national runner-up.
Braswell helped to program win it’s fourth-straight SEC crown in 2021-22 as the team went 10-4 overall on the year. Stearns, Kurtz and Ferrigno earned All-America and All-SEC in both Fences & Flat, while Helen Ulrich was All-America on Flat. Stearns was voted NCEA Flat Rider of the Year, while Kurtz was honored as SEC Fences Rider of the Year.
In 2021, Braswell guided the Tigers to an 8-1 mark, including a 6-0 regular season record. The squad picked up its third consecutive SEC title and St. Jacques earned both the SEC Fences & Flat Rider of the Year honors.
In addition, all five competition riders in Fences were named All-Americans, while St. Jacques and Langmeier earned national honors in Flat.
The 2020 season had the Tigers go undefeated as a team once again, finishing 13-0 on the shortened year. The Flat and Fences corps finished ranked No. 1 at the end of the season and the crew finished with seven All-America honors and 10 All-SEC recognitions.
In addition, Auburn swept both NCEA and SEC Riders of the Year awards in Jumping Seat action as well the SEC Freshman Rider of the Year awards.
Auburn took home another NCEA national crown in 2019, finishing the year with a perfect 18-0 record. Under Braswell’s direction, the Tigers took home the Hunt Seat and Equitation on the Flat national titles. All six Hunt Seat competitors – Ashton Alexander, Boyle, Iannotti, Emma Kurtz, Langmeier, St. Jacques – were NCEA All-Americans in both Flat and Fences.
In 2018, the Tigers captured the 2018 NCEA National title as well as the Hunt Seat and Equitation Over Fences crown. Boyle (Fences) and St. Jacques (Flat) were named the Most Outstanding Performer of the Championship and Alexander and Iannotti joined them on the NCEA Championship team.
For her efforts, Braswell was named the NCEA Coach of the Year in 2018.
The Tigers captured the 2016 NCEA National title and the program’s first Southeastern Conference crown. In addition, she helped lead the Tigers to the overall national title and the Hunt Seat National title in 2013.
Braswell graduated from Auburn in 2009 with a double major in Agricultural Business & Economics and Spanish International Trade. She decided to remain at Auburn and pursue a graduate degree in which she graduated in December 2010 with a Master of Business Administration.
While at Auburn, Braswell was a member of the equestrian team from 2005-2009. She helped lead the team to an overall national championship in 2006 and a hunt seat national championship in 2008. She was a four-time member of the SEC academic honor roll and the 2009 Auburn Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. She continued to be a part of the equestrian program during graduate school as the first Equestrian Director of Operations.
Braswell began riding at an early age and competed extensively before coming to Auburn in 2005. Prior to coaching at Auburn, Braswell worked for CIGNA Health Care in Hartford, Conn. She worked in CIGNA’s Proposal Management Department as a strategist.
Braswell is daughter of Jamey and Amy Braswell and sister to Troy.