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Joan Catanese will enter her 1st season as Millikin University's Head Flag Football Coach in the spring of 2027. A member of the Millikin coaching ranks since 2024, she was hired as the inaugural coach of the Big Blue Flag Football program in 2025.
Prior to her appointment as head coach, Catanese joined the football coaching staff at Millikin University in 2024, serving as Tight Ends Coach and Specialists Coach for two seasons, and as Special Teams Co-Coordinator for one season.
Catanese brings more than 23 years of experience in education and athletics to her role at Millikin University. She has an extensive background in football, having competed professionally in the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL) for three franchises. During her playing career, she served as a starting center and contributor on all special teams units. Adding to her athletic accolades, Catanese was an accomplished fencer, appearing as high as the Junior Olympic level.
Her work in football has earned her selections to the NCAA & NFL Coaches Academy in 2026, the NFL Women’s Forum in 2022, and recognition as a Bill Walsh Diversity Fellow, which saw her serve on the Special Teams coaching staff during the Atlanta Falcons’ NFL Training Camp.
Prior to Millikin, Catanese was a dedicated faculty member and championship winning coach at Huntington High School, in Shreveport, Louisiana. She led one of the state’s most successful track and field programs, culminating in the 4A Louisiana State Championship in 2023. Her leadership earned her recognition as State Coach of the Year in the 2021–2022 season and Louisiana State Track Coach of the Year in 2022–2023. Throughout her career in education, she has also been named Teacher of the Year three times and recognized as a Parish Finalist for her impact in the classroom and community.
Catanese also played a key role in the resurgence of the Huntington High School football program, contributing to the team’s first playoff victory in 15 years and serving in numerous leadership roles, serving as a position coach to a variety of groups, ultimately going on to serve as Assistant Head Coach.
A native of Shreveport, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Education with a minor in English from Louisiana Tech University in 2001.
