Mike Jacobs and Mercer will stay together for a little while longer after the two parties agreed to an extension. Jacobs could potentially remain in Macon, Georgia through the 2029 season.
Jacobs took over for Drew Cronic in early 2024 after the former head coach left to become Navy’s offensive coordinator. Cronic led Mercer to its first FCS playoff appearance in 2023 and Jacobs kept the momentum going. The Bears went 10-2 overall and 7-1 in the SoCon as they clinched the school’s first ever conference title. Mercer reached the FCS quarterfinals, where they fell to eventual national champions North Dakota State. Jacobs was named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year and was one of the finalists for the 2024 Eddie Robinson Award presented to the FCS National Coach of the Year.
Jacobs has a history of success dating back to his first head coaching experience at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio. In four seasons with the Falcons, Jacobs went 42-8 overall and 35-6 in the Mountain East. He never won fewer than 8 games or finished worse than 2nd in the MEC. He reached the NCAA D-II playoffs twice, including a semifinal appearance in 2018.
He joined Lenoir-Rhyne as head coach for the 2020-21 season and had similar success. He spent four seasons with the Bears, going 32-9 overall and 24-5 in the South Atlantic Conference. He never posted a losing record and won at least 8 games in his final three seasons. He reached the D-II playoffs twice with Lenoir-Rhyne, including a semifinal appearance in 2023.
For his career, Jacobs is 85-20 overall and 66-12 in conference games with four conference titles and five playoff appearances in 9 seasons as head coach.
Photo Credit to Mercer University Athletics
