Mike Jacobs Officially Introduced as Head Football Coach at UToledo

Mike Jacobs Officially Introduced as Head Football Coach at UToledo

Mike Jacobs was officially introduced as the head football coach at The University of Toledo today, Dec. 12, becoming the 28th head coach in the 109-year history of the Rocket football program.

A 24-year collegiate coaching veteran with a proven track record of success, Jacobs brings championship pedigree and a reputation for building elite programs at Mercer, Lenoir-Rhyne and Notre Dame College (Ohio). His career head coaching record of 94-23 (.803) ranks him fourth in winning percentage among the top active coaches in NCAA Divisions I and II.

"I am humbled, I am honored, I am grateful to be your head football coach," said Jacobs, who is a native of Maumee and whose father once served as an assistant coach with the Rockets. "You will have everything that I can give you to make certain that we all reach the goals that we all want.

"It's about degrees. It's about championships and championship rings. And it's about taking it and elevating it to the next level and making sure that this is the best Group of Six team and program in the country, and that we are in that College Football Playoffs. It may seem close or far off, depending on what your perspective is, but that is where we are headed. That is the destination. It's just a matter of the level of buy-in from not only the players, but the community, the campus and the city of Toledo as to how quickly we will be able to get to where we are going. And we will get there."

Vice President and Director of Athletics Bryan B. Blair said that Jacobs fit the perfect profile for the next head coach of the Rockets.

"We were looking for somebody that embraces all that Toledo is, somebody that embraces our student-athletes," Blair said. "We wanted somebody that embraces the legacy and expectations of Toledo football. We have a long history of success here. You go back decades and decades, where there have been undefeated seasons, we've had College Football Hall of Famers like Nick Saban and Gary Pinkel, and more recently highly successful coaches like Jason Candle. There's a lot of great people who have sat in that head coach's office and had a lot of success. We've had a lot of future NFL talent that has come through this program. We're going to make sure we keep that going. So with Mike Jacobs, I believe we found all of that."

University of Toledo President James Holloway said that Jacobs impressed him as an educator of young men.

"In the interview process, I got to spend about 90 minutes with Coach Jacobs," Holloway said. "He described the importance of developing young people. He described the importance of developing their character, developing their intellect, developing their physical selves, and he talked about the ways to do that. I was just thinking to myself that this man is a teacher and that is what I really wanted to see in a head coach."

Jacobs led Mercer to a 20-6 record (15-1 Southern Conference) and two trips to the NCAA-Division I FCS playoffs over the past two seasons. He was named SoCon Coach of the Year in 2024 and 2025.

In 10 seasons as a head coach, Jacobs' teams have won seven conference titles and made six appearances in the NCAA FCS or Division II playoffs. Jacobs, who played offensive line at Ohio State from 1997-2000, has won five conference Coach of the Year honors and was a finalist in 2024 and 2025 for the Eddie Robinson Award as the top head coach in the FCS.

Jacobs' teams have had at least eight wins in every season he has served as head coach (not including the COVID-shortened season in 2020). He has mentored 13 All-Americans, 17 all-region selections, and 113 all-conference performers, while also producing seven Academic All-Americans. His programs have developed NFL talent, including Seattle Seahawks' wide receiver Dareke Young and former Notre Dame standout Jaleel McLaughlin, a two-time Harlon Hill Award finalist.

Jacobs' two seasons at Mercer were historic. In 2024, he guided the Bears to their first-ever conference championship and an 11-3 record, advancing to the NCAA FCS Playoffs quarterfinals. Mercer's defense dominated nationally, leading all 123 FCS programs in rushing defense (70.8), sacks (3.29), forced turnovers (34) and interceptions (25). Offensively, the Bears averaged 30.6 points per game, highlighted by a record-breaking rushing season from Dwayne McGee, who ran for 1,191 yards and eight touchdowns.

In 2025, Mercer capped another great season by finishing 9-3 overall and 8-0 in Southern Conference play, securing back-to-back league titles and another berth in the FCS Playoffs. Mercer ranked third in the FCS in total offense (485.2 yards/game) while averaging 36.2 points per contest. The Bears produced 13 all-conference selections and climbed as high as No. 6 in the national rankings, solidifying their status as one of the premier programs in FCS football.

Prior to his time at Mercer, Jacobs engineered success at Lenoir-Rhyne, where his teams went 32-9 from 2020-23, captured a South Atlantic Conference title, and reached the NCAA Division II Semifinals. In 2023, Lenoir-Rhyne went 13-2 and secured its first NCAA postseason road victory. Jacobs was named SAC Coach of the Year for the Bears, who were ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation.

Jacobs first made his mark as head coach at Notre Dame College (Ohio), leading the Falcons to a 42-8 record and two Mountain East Conference championships from 2016-19. His 2018 team went 13-1 and advanced to the NCAA Division II Semifinals, earning MEC Coach of the Year honors for Jacobs. The Falcons' 2019 squad went 12-2 and reached the NCAA quarterfinals.

A former offensive lineman and long snapper at Ohio State, Jacobs played under legendary coaches John Cooper and Jim Tressel, appearing in more than 30 games and two Sugar Bowls. He earned his bachelor's degree in education from Ohio State and completed a graduate degree in education at Purdue.

Prior to becoming a head coach, Jacobs served 14 seasons as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan, Wilmington, Purdue, California (Pa.) and Notre Dame College. He was the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame for one season prior to moving into the top spot for the Falcons.

Jacobs and his wife, Lacey, are the proud parents of two sons, Luke and Knox. His late father, Mike T. Jacobs, was a college football coach, serving nearly 30 years as an assistant with stops at Ohio State, West Virginia and Bowling Green. Jacobs served on the staff with his father at California (Pa.) in 2009.