Janae Braun, who served as a volunteer assistant with the Sacramento State women’s soccer program in 2025, has been added as a full-time assistant coach for the Hornets beginning with the 2026 campaign.
“Janae brings a wealth of high-level experience, both as a professional player with international experience and as a coach, having gained valuable experience as a member of a successful Division I program,” first-year head coach Tim Strader said. “I am excited to begin this journey with her as I know the immeasurable impact she will have on our student-athletes' holistic development. Her passion, knowledge of the game and ability to genuinely connect with people instantly set her apart.
“When assembling our coaching staff, it was my top priority to find coaches that are invested into mentoring student-athletes, have an ability to build quality relationships, while also understanding championship standards, and this is exactly what Janae is as a coach. We have big goals as a program, and I know the significant role she will have in helping us achieve them in the years to come.”
Braun (née Gonzalez) joined the Sacramento State sideline after spending two years as an assistant coach at her alma mater, UC Davis, from 2023-25 before being named interim head coach following the 2024 campaign during a coaching transition. She also served in the same capacity with the Hornets following the 2025 campaign prior to Strader’s arrival in March of 2026.
In her first season with the Aggies, she helped guide UC Davis to a second-place finish in the competitive Big West Conference for the second straight season while mentoring five all-conference selections as the team went on to finish 10-7-2 overall and 6-2-2 in league play.
A year later, the Aggies finished 13-5-2 overall and duplicated their effort in league play in 2024, posting the most wins in school history since the 1998 team finished 13-6-1 overall.
She also has experience coaching at the club level, serving as head coach of two ECNL Davis Legacy Soccer Club youth teams from 2021-24, and was also an assistant varsity high school coach at Davis HS from 2018-19, helping the Blue Devils to a CIF Sac-Joaquin section title and a second-place finish at NorCal Regionals.
As a student-athlete, Braun was a two-year letter winner for the Aggies in 2018-19 after spending her first two collegiate seasons at Santa Clara in 2015-16. A two-time Big West All-Academic selection, she earned All-Big West first team honors during her senior year after leading all Aggies in points (13), shots (34), and goals (six).
While with the Broncos, she was a West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team selection and a two-time WCC All-Academic Team honoree, finishing with four career goals and helping Santa Clara to an NCAA “Sweet 16” berth in 2015 and a spot in the “Elite 8” in 2016.
She also brings with her an extensive international and professional playing resume, including stints as a member of the U17 Mexican Women’s National Team which she helped win the 2013 CONCACAF crown while leading the team in goals (three) and assists (four) as only a junior in high school.
Braun also represented Mexico in the 2014 U17 Women's World Cup, where she was the team's leading scorer, netting goals in wins over Colombia and China during the group stage. Her goal against Colombia that put Mexico up, 3-0, was selected as the best goal of the U17 Women's World Cup by a public vote on FIFA.com.
Her international playing experience continued after graduating from UC Davis, where she signed a professional contract with Club América Femenil, an organization that competes in Liga BBVA MX Femenil, the highest division of women's soccer in Mexico. She also had a stint playing for Mazatlán FC.
Following her pro career in Mexico, Braun has continued to have a successful career for the California Storm of the Women's Professional Soccer League, where she has been a vital piece, serving as a co-captain. Her highlights include helping the Storm secure the WPSL's Jerry Zanelli Cup in 2022 and the WPSL PAC North Championship in 2023, a year in which she also was named MVP.
Braun has also been a member of the first-ever United States Futsal National Team since 2023 and competed in the 2025 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers.
A native of Folsom, Calif., who prepped at Vista del Lago HS, Braun graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor’s degree in communication in 2019 and she went on to earn her master’s degree in communication management from USC in 2022.
