Redbirds T&F Add Decorated Former Jumper as Coach

Image courtesy of Boise State Athletics

NORMAL, Ill – The Illinois State University Athletics Department recently announced the newest addition to its coaching staff, proudly welcoming Jake Jacoby as the new assistant coach of the for the horizontal jumps and multis.

“I’m very excited to be here with a good group of athletes that I will be working with and with a great attitude as well” Jacoby said, “I can see success in the future, thanking Head Coach Bovee and the rest of the staff.”

Jacoby spent seven seasons at the University of Louisville where he coached two National Champions and numerous All-Americans and a Big East championship. Before his time at Louisville, he spent four seasons as an assistant coach the Boise State University, where he coached 12 individual Western Athletic Conference champions, three NCAA All-Americans, and four school record holders as well as being a part of the teams 2004 conference title. Jacoby was also a standout student athlete at Boise State, becoming the school’s first national champion in track and field and winning the NCAA outdoor high jump title in 1984. Jacoby managed to set Big Sky Conference records, as in 1983 he ran a 7.14 in the 55-meter hurdles, which still stands as a conference record to this day. Jacoby was inducted into the Boise State Hall of Fame in 1984.

Jacoby competed in three U.S. Olympic trials following his time at Boise State. In 1987, Jacoby was alternate for the United States team at the World Championships in 1987 and was a member of the U.S. team in 1989, placing seventh at the world championship. He also went on to compete in the U.S. Olympic trials in 1984, 1988 and 1992.

“Very pleased to welcome Jake to the Redbird coaching staff,” Bovee said. “In the search, it became clear that Jake’s success not only as a jumper on the world stage, but more importantly, his enormous success coaching collegiately that he was the right person to take our student-athletes to the next level.”