Debbie Jensen came to Cerritos College in 1995 as the head women’s soccer coach and assistant track and field coach. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, she also teaches P.E. classes and is in her fifth year as Athletic Coordinator assisting Jeff Smith, the Athletic Director. 

Jensen will begin her seventh season as the men’s and women’s assistant track and field coach for the Falcons. For the 2006 season, Jensen will be coaching the jumps. In her tenure at Cerritos, Jensen has coached 12 state finalists which include one state champion in the men’s high jump, men’s and women’s long jump, women’s triple jump, women’s high jump and men’s and women’s javelin. 

Jensen also spent 1999-2002 as an assistant track coach at Vanguard University, where she coached two All-Americans, one in the women’s Indoor 400m and one in the men’s Indoor High Jump. Jensen also had five other national qualifiers in the men’s long jump, women’s Indoor 55m, men’s Indoor 60m hurdles, Outdoor women’s high jump and women’s 400m. In 1999 Jensen coached the conference champion in the women’s heptathlon. 

Prior to her arrival at Cerritos College, Jensen spent two years in Louisiana, attending attended Louisiana Tech University (1993-94), a Division I school, as a graduate assistant for the men’s and women’s track and field team. There, Jensen worked closely with the assistant coach in the sprints, hurdles, jumps and recruiting. The next year Jensen moved to Lafayette, Louisiana where she taught P.E. and was the head girl’s cross country and track coach at Acadiana H.S. Jensen coached two girls who qualified for state finals in the discus and javelin. 

From 1989-93 Jensen taught P.E. and coached at Corona High School as the head boy’s and girl’s track and field coach for three years and an assistant for one year. Her girl’s teams were league champions three years in a row and the boy’s were league champs one year. In her three years as head coach, Jensen coached two state finalists, two state prelim qualifiers, and 25 league champions. Jensen was named Mt. View League Coach of the Year four times. 

Jensen received her Bachelor’s degree and teaching credential in Physical Education from Cal State Fullerton. She then earned her Master’s degree in Health, Physical Education from Louisiana Tech University. Jensen ran cross country and track for the Southern California Cheetahs and Arcadia High School, then  ran cross country for Citrus College. Jensen is a certificated member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. 

Jensen is the granddaughter of Ernie Jensen, who was a P.E. teacher and coach at Excelsior and Bellflower high schools. Ernie was a very successful track coach who started the Bellflower National Relays and coached one of his two-mile relay teams to a national high school record.