ORLANDO – The No. 17 UCF men’s soccer team has announced the addition of David Jacobs to the team’s coaching staff, representing the program’s second assistant coach working with head coach Scott Calabrese and associate head coach Paul Souders.
Jacobs joins UCF’s staff as the 2024 fall campaign commences and will work primarily with the Knights netminders as the team’s primary goalkeeper coach.
“The environment was among the most attractive components to joining the coaching staff here. I had the opportunity to attend quite a few sessions during the spring, and I was able to see what the day-to-day was like and the atmosphere of professionalism everyone has here. Everyone’s going to be attracted to the professionalism, because that’s where we want to be. If you’re in this arena, you want to be as high as you can go and coach at the highest level possible.”
David JacobsGoalkeeper CoachJacobs makes the move to Orlando from Angola, Indiana, on the heels of seven seasons with the Trine University Thunder, a member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), where he compiled an aggregate 63-47-15 (.564) overall record, including three seasons with at least 11 wins.
In his first season at Trine in 2017, Jacobs led the Thunder to an appearance in the MIAA Tournament, marking the second time since the program joined the conference in the 2007-08 year that team had done so.
Trine went on to advance to the conference tournament in the next four consecutive seasons through the 2021 campaign, a stretch that featured the program’s first MIAA tournament title and an NCAA Division III Tournament appearance.
In seven seasons at the helm, Jacobs' teams have turned a 0-16-3 season in 2016, the year prior to his arrival, to double-digit win seasons in three of his last six seasons with the Thunder through the 2023 slate.
Under Jacobs’ watch, Trine goaltenders ranked within the top three in the conference in both saves per game and save percentage in his first season in 2017, and his goalkeeping corps also slotted within the top three in save percentage in both 2018 and 2020 as well.
Prior to joining the Thunder, Jacobs served as head coach at Ancilla College in Plymouth, Indiana. While at Ancilla, Jacobs led the Chargers to two Michigan Community College Athletic Association Championships, including their first outright title in program history.
He went on to lead the team to a semifinal appearance in the National Junior College Athletic Association Men's Soccer National Tournament and had an overall coaching record of 30-5-2, highlighted by an 18-2 mark in 2016. Jacobs was named MCCAA Coach of the Year as well as being tabbed Region 12 Coach of the Year and District 20 Coach of the Year accolades in 2016. He also founded a junior varsity program in his first season.
In addition to his time at Ancilla, Jacobs earned experience from multiple levels of soccer prior to joining Trine. He has served as head coach at both the high school and club levels, as well as an assistant coach at Bethel College and Judson University. Jacobs also played goalkeeper in professional organizations in the United States and Mexico.
During the summer of 2016-17, Jacobs served as an assistant coach with the Midland Odessa FC, formerly "The Sockers." The team made it to the national semifinals of USL/PDL, and in 2017, advanced the national semifinals of the National Premier Soccer League in Midland, Texas. Jacobs also helped guide the team to the national championship out of 96 total teams. The squad also qualified for the US Open Cup in three consecutive years.
Jacobs graduated from Bethel College with a general studies degree in 2014, and he and his wife, Kara, have two daughters.
UP NEXT
The 17th-ranked Knights conclude their season-opening four-match homestand Friday evening, when the team welcomes the UC Irvine Anteaters to Orlando. Kickoff for the match is slated for 7 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
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