KALAMAZOO, Mich.- “If I ever get a head coaching job, I am taking you with me.” That is what Western Michigan head football coach P.J. Fleck told Jessica Larmony, one of the recruiting assistants at Rutgers University in 2010 and 2011 while Fleck was the wide receivers coach. Larmony didn't think much of it at the time, but that thought very quickly became a reality with one phone call.
“I would laugh it off, but when he actually asked me it caught me truly off guard and I didn't know what to say,” Larmony said. “It was absolutely life changing, I left everything that I knew that was comfortable to take a chance out here where I knew no one but Coach Fleck.”
Larmony, a Perth Amboy, N.J. native, started as the Broncos' Director of Internal Football Operations in January 2013, but made a huge splash when she was named the Director of Football Operations, a job title that is mostly unheard of for females in today's world. As the director of football operations, she is responsible for taking care of all the travel arrangements, meals for the players and staff, managing all the football facilities, overseeing student workers, and all the day-to-day operations of the football team. For Larmony, a vast majority of her work is done during the week and if she finds herself busy on game day, chances are that means something is not going according to plan. During the Michigan State and Murray State home games, she had the job of coordinating the band and DJ booth to make sure everything ran smoothly.
As a female, the issue that could pose a problem is the staff she is constantly working with. Over 100 male student-athletes and 27 male members of the coaching and support staff all with the masculine sport of football constantly on their minds. This may come as a threat to people or schools elsewhere but not for Larmony, who is the only female on the football support staff.
“Maybe at other schools they might see issues but honestly the staff that we have are very supportive, the players are always very supportive, and anything I need they help me with in any way they can,” Larmony said. “It's never uncomfortable (being a female), just being around the guys is always fun and they give great energy and are always excited, they make you feel good about doing your job.”
Making Larmony feel good about her job is exactly what Fleck had in mind following the Broncos 52-20 win over Murray State on Saturday, Sept. 19. Three game balls were handed out that night in the locker room to three well-deserving candidates. One to John Mulhurn, a huge Bronco fan battling from cerebral palsy, another to Andy Murray, the WMU head hockey coach, and the final one went to Larmony.
“I just wanted to make sure she knows how important she is to this program and I wanted to show that to her and everyone else,” Fleck said. “Actions speak louder than words and I know our team would've given her the game ball too, it was probably way overdue.”
Fleck stood in front of his team announcing the game ball winners and when he came to Larmony he said, “She is one of the few in the country” and she is “Jersey Tough,” and at that point everyone knew who was getting that ball, but coming into the locker room following the win, Larmony had no idea what was coming.
“It honestly caught me by surprise, I wasn't expecting it all because this is a thankless job and I never expect to get a lot of pats on the back or people saying thank you so when stuff like that happens it made me a little emotional and I don't really get like that,” Larmony said. “Then the guys were all excited, it was just really special to me because when I came out here I took a chance and left everything that I was comfortable with.”
Now that Larmony is settled in with WMU she has established relationships with everyone involved with the football program, most notably Coach Fleck. She says she gets to the office no later than 7:00 a.m. every day and is there until 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. on a majority of the days and with the coach's schedules being extremely long and hectic as well, they spend a huge amount of time together to the point where they understand each other.
“In my case we're kind of like each other's ying and the yang because what she can do for me is that when I'm really passionate about something and I'm in coaching mode, she can soften the blow and describe exactly what I want instead of just a demand from the head coach,” Fleck said. “She's really a softer voice behind a head coach's voice and she gives reason to a lot of things that I'll expect from other people in administration, operations, and players and she just has an incredible perspective and that's hard to find these days.”
Although her work may not be seen by everyone, she has been a key factor as WMU continues to climb in the ranks of the Mid-American Conference. The hours she puts in do not get overlooked by the coaching staff and support staff of WMU. From the Rutgers recruiting office to her new Waldo Stadium office, Jessica Larmony remains at the top of her game as one of the few female Directors of Football Operations in the country and WMU is lucky to have her.
“She's the glue of this football team and I really mean that,” Fleck said. “She's the unsung hero, nobody ever sees what she does but this program would not run efficiently without Jessica Larmony.”
