Since taking the helm of the Little Rock women’s golf program in June 2019, Jenna Birch has guided the Trojans to record-setting success both on the course and in the classroom.

Under her leadership, Little Rock has quickly become one of the premier programs in the Ohio Valley Conference, capturing the 2024 OVC Championship and finishing runner-up in 2025.

The 2024 campaign was a historic season for the Trojans. Little Rock earned its first NCAA Regional berth in program history and swept the league’s major postseason honors. Birch was named OVC Coach of the Year, Anna Dawsone earned Player of the Year, and Eleonore Aernouts was recognized as Freshman of the Year. Both Aernouts and Agatha Aleson earned All-OVC honors, while Dawson and Aernouts were also selected to the OVC All-Tournament Team.

In 2025, the Trojans followed up with another strong campaign, finishing second at the OVC Championship. Dawson once again earned All-OVC and All-Tournament Team recognition, while Aernouts was named to the All-OVC Team for the second consecutive year.

Birch’s teams have been equally dominant in the classroom. In 2025, for the second straight year, Little Rock earned the Ohio Valley Conference Team Academic Achievement Award, presented annually to the program with the highest percentage of student-athletes achieving a 3.25 GPA or higher.

In her first season leading the Trojans (2019–20), Birch immediately made an impact. Little Rock golfers recorded 14 new individual scoring lows across 18-, 36-, and 54-hole rounds, with every player achieving at least one personal best. The team’s average individual scoring average improved by 1.59 strokes, and the overall team scoring average dropped by 3.03 strokes, resulting in a 26-spot jump in the final Golfstat national rankings.

Academically, Little Rock finished with the fifth-highest GPA in the nation among all Division I women’s golf programs in 2019–20, boasting a 3.89 team GPA. The Trojans also achieved a department-record 3.95 GPA in the spring semester, with all five golfers named WGCA Academic All-Scholar honorees.

Birch has also emphasized service and leadership. Under her direction, the Trojans were recognized by Helper Helper for having the second-most community service hours nationally among all collegiate programs.

Before joining Little Rock, Birch spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Georgia Southern, helping guide the Eagles to back-to-back third-place finishes at the Sun Belt Conference Championship — the best results in program history.

During her tenure, she coached Ella Ofstedahl, who captured individual medalist honors at the Sun Belt Championship, becoming the first conference champion in program history. The team also produced three WGCA All-American Scholars and improved its Golfstat ranking by more than 60 spots.

Prior to her time at Georgia Southern, Birch served as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s programs at Armstrong State, her alma mater. She played an instrumental role in helping the women’s team capture the 2016 Peach Belt Conference title — its first since 2012 — and qualify for NCAA Regional Championships in both 2016 and 2017.

During her two seasons, the Pirates claimed five team titles, while seven golfers earned Peach Belt Player of the Week honors and two were named Academic All-Americans.

As a player, Birch was one of the most decorated golfers in Armstrong State history. A four-year competitor (2011–14), she was a two-time NCAA First Team All-American and the 2013 Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year. She posted a 74.88 career scoring average, ranked third nationally in 2013, and helped lead the Pirates to the 2012 Peach Belt Conference championship.

A native of Fleetwood, England, Birch excelled academically as well, earning NCAA Academic All-American honors in both 2013 and 2014 and being named First Team All-Peach Belt Conference three times. Her accomplishments earned her induction into the Armstrong State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018.

Birch graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Armstrong State in 2014. She later earned a master’s degree in sport management from Georgia Southern University in 2019 and a master’s degree in public administration from UA Little Rock.