SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Already a familiar face within the St. Francis community, Melissa Triebwasser becomes the Catholic college preparatory school's inaugural head flag football coach, director of athletics Ryan Chisolm announced. Triebwasser currently serves as the school's digital media manager, and previously held the post as the Troubadours' head junior varsity basketball coach.

"Kicking off a flag football program at St. Francis is a historic undertaking, and I couldn't be prouder to have Melissa Triebwasser at the helm," said Chisolm. "She already has the trust, respect and adulation of the entire Troubie family. Adding that quality to her extensive coaching expertise and her love and knowledge of football makes a perfect fit."

St. Francis is one of dozens of CIF Sac-Joaquin Section schools launching girls' flag football in the 2023-24 season. The Troubadours will play in the Sierra Foothill League while all other SF sports will continue as members of the Delta League. The SFL slate features home-and-home series against Folsom, Whitney, Rocklin, Del Oro, Rocklin, Granite Bay and Davis, with the section holding its first championship tournament in October and November this year.

"From the moment that I first thought about applying for this position, the sentence that kept running through my head was 'we want to be first at something that lasts," Triebwasser said. "When Mr. Chisolm told me they were offering me the job, I literally jumped up and fist-pumped. That is the level of enthusiasm I have for this. You don't get a lot of opportunities to do something that has never been done before. To get to be part of starting the flag football program at St. Francis feels really significant and certainly has me fired up for the season."

Triebwasser owns almost two full decades of coaching experience, mostly in basketball, at such schools as Granite Bay High School, Oakridge School (Arlington, Texas), William Jessup University and most recently, with St. Francis. Furthermore, she has covered the football program of her collegiate alma mater, TCU, even hosting her own football podcast in the wake of a season in which the Horned Frogs' won the Fiesta Bowl and advanced to the FBS title game

Triebwasser grew up in the Roseville area but spent two different stints – once as a student and another as a coach - in the Lone Star State, perhaps the largest hotbed for 7-on-7 football. She even once said in a 2009 Press-Tribune feature that her "secret dream" was to someday become an offensive coordinator, more than a decade before St. Francis granted her the opportunity as a head coach.

Besides her coaching duties, Triebwasser will continue her regular marketing and communications post at St. Francis, which includes running the school's main social media presence and supervising the student-run Troubie TV media program. In fact, her plan is to integrate the two roles, enlisting her Troubie TV crew to capture the season in a similar style of the HBO docuseries Hard Knocks. 

"You don't get to do something that has never been done before very often, especially at a place so saturated with athletic tradition," said Triebwasser. "With Troubie TV and the new equipment and studio that we were able to fundraise for, we are planning to do a Hard Knocks-style documentary of the season. I think it's important that we document this. It's history, it's a building block and a part of St. Francis lore for a long time to come."

The athletics department is currently finalizing the process of naming Triebwasser's assistant coach. The flag football season begins on September 5, with tryouts taking placing during the first week of school (Aug. 14-17). Fans should stay tuned to GoTroubies.com for a Troubie Spotlight feature on the new program later in the week.