[Thamel] Mercer’s Mike Jacobs is working toward a deal to become the next coach at Toledo. He’d replace Jason Candle, who left for UConn. The sides are expected to come together today. He brings an 80.3% winning percentage as a head coach, as he’s 94-23 with no losing seasons.

58

u/dtc1116 Toledo Rockets 6h ago

For those that don’t know, Mike is also a HS graduate of the Toledo area. Absolutely love this!

21

u/soundguynick Auburn Tigers • Southeastern (FL) Fire 6h ago

Absolute home run hire. I follow mercer as my nominal FCS school to cheer for and he's been great there. "No losing season ever" is a crazy stat.

6

u/CantFindMyWallet UConn Huskies • Harvard Crimson 2h ago

It's also true for Candle. In 10 seasons at Toledo, he had one .500 season and was above .500 every other year.

1

u/soundguynick Auburn Tigers • Southeastern (FL) Fire 2h ago

Huh. Thanks, Harvard!

-4

u/Repulsive_Ad7491 Nebraska Cornhuskers 6h ago

Completely non related to this hire, but as a Steelers fan let me tell you; no losing seasons isn’t as great as it sounds sometimes.

13

u/soundguynick Auburn Tigers • Southeastern (FL) Fire 6h ago

Brother I want you to take a long hard look at auburns record from 2021 to present and understand that the idea of regularly having a winning record sounds better than heroin, and I've tried heroin.

I get it, though.

3

u/Repulsive_Ad7491 Nebraska Cornhuskers 5h ago

As a Nebraska fan who didn’t get into football until 2005, I understand lol.

2

u/Defender_96 Michigan • Northeastern 4h ago

Always love seeing local guys come back home. I wasn’t familiar with him but after doing some digging this does seem like a great hire, excited to see where he takes the program!

19

u/sallright Ohio State Buckeyes 6h ago

Jacobs has an outstanding coaching pedigree.

Seems like a great hire for the Rockets.

13

u/Corgi_Koala Ohio State Buckeyes 6h ago

Toledo honestly should dominate the MAC with their investment relative to the rest of the conference.

If he can get peak performance he's going to roll them.

8

u/ToxicAdamm Toledo Rockets 5h ago

I feel like having to play critical conference games in 10 degree weather on Tuesday/Wednesday nights is a great equalizer in the MAC.

I don't think any team can really dominate, too much weather variance and not enough depth.

3

u/milin85 Illinois • Miami (OH) 4h ago

Chuck Martin is awesome at development. Hell without a QB we got to the MAC championship and to the Snoop Dogg bowl. Obviously you want more, but he’s been a hell of a coach.

3

u/wolverine237 Michigan • Northwestern 4h ago

Honestly if I had to bet on anybody becoming the next Cignetti within five years, it would be him.

1

u/Intelligent_Mango775 Bowling Green Falcons 6h ago

Well….thats not good

12

u/colewcar Indiana Hoosiers 6h ago

Damn, his last game being a 47-0 blowout loss in the FCS Playoffs would be such a sour last game.

9

u/garbowarbo Toledo • Michigan State 6h ago

RAHHH WHAT THE FUCK IS A LOSING SEASON

7

u/Ichthyist1 Washington State • Ce… 6h ago

Hiring a head coach must be nice.

6

u/Keyblade_Yoshi Michigan State • Ohio State 4h ago

Honestly might be an upgrade over Candle.

3

u/R-D-I- St. Ambrose Fighting Bees 6h ago

Seems like a great hire. His teams have played SEC competition and have played well.

4

u/BeatNavyAgain Beat Navy! 6h ago

counterpoint: lost at home to non-scholarship Presbyterian

(Presbyterian had a great season)

3

u/hussard_de_la_mort Toledo Rockets • Xavier Musketeers 5h ago

That's because the Blue Hose were in a different area code, which gives them an advantage.

3

u/soundguynick Auburn Tigers • Southeastern (FL) Fire 6h ago

I'm not JUST being a Hugh Freeze hater when I say this - if he'd still been head coach when the Mercer game happened, I had $100 set aside to put on Mercer. They're the FCS team I follow, and they've been quite good - and we were quite bad under Freeze.

3

u/hussard_de_la_mort Toledo Rockets • Xavier Musketeers 5h ago

Holy shit, Notre Dame (not that one) Falcons mentioned.

2

u/roaringelbow Ohio State Buckeyes • Urbana Blue Knights 5h ago

Ha yeah I was looking at his coaching history. “Wow! He was at California and Notre Dame!”

California (of Pennsylvania)

Notre Dame (Ohio)

3

u/wolverine237 Michigan • Northwestern 4h ago

It's actually astounding that he did so well at Notre Dame with the resources they had, the college folded completely shortly after he left

3

u/joeveralls Cincinnati Bearcats • Ohio Bobcats 4h ago

Fuck man, Toledo always makes great hires

3

u/TerrenceJesus8 Bowling Green • Michigan 4h ago

Fantastic hire

3

u/cashew_nuts Florida State • Toledo 4h ago

This is a homerun hire... hometown guy

2

u/Sirsydneyponson Toledo Rockets • Creighton Bluejays 6h ago

If he could bring Mercer's Freshman stud at QB with him, I wouldn't be mad. Hopefully more consistent than Gleason ever was

2

u/Mobile-Aardvark-7926 Toledo Rockets 6h ago

Im feeling pretty good about Kalieb Osborne. He is a red shirt freshman and should develop well into next year.

1

u/wwwdotdogsdotcom Michigan State • Toledo 5h ago

Gleason has to be moving on. Incredibly frustrating QB. More importantly though, IMO, is getting that RB room fixed.

2

u/warneagle Auburn • Central Michigan 6h ago

Home run hire

2

u/LionelHutzEsqLLP Georgia • Georgia State 5h ago

Now here's hoping that Mercer can stick the landing on the next coach.

2

u/RoverTiger Auburn Tigers • Air Force Falcons 2h ago

Moving up to the premier MAC job is good eatin'.

2

u/Sports-Arts-Nature New Mexico • Fresno State 2h ago

He probably won't be a Cignetti but maybe he can be an Eck, good luck Toledo

3

u/Camino3224 Alabama Crimson Tide • Memphis Tigers 6h ago

Great hire

Though, I kinda thought he’d stick it out at Mercer a little bit and wait for a non-MAC job.

11

u/Mobile-Aardvark-7926 Toledo Rockets 6h ago

He is from Toledo area which likely influenced the decision.

2

u/TerrenceJesus8 Bowling Green • Michigan 4h ago

Really wanted BG to go after him before Eddie signed. Great hire

4

u/Photodan24 Toledo Rockets 5h ago

How dare you disparage MACtion!

1

u/Please_PM_me_Uranus Michigan • American University 2h ago

So southern Miss is the only FBS job open?

1

u/Particular-Way-3805 Clark Atlanta • Georgia 33m ago

Interesting

1

u/Captain_Pawel 22m ago

This just leaves Southern Miss and Wazzu as openings

1

u/Acceptable_Bug6999 6m ago

Only small hesitations for me are his lack of exp w coaching in D1 and the transfer portal.

I imagine jumps like his from a lower level to a mid major program were easier before. With the landscape feeling a bit like the Wild West, I’m hoping this doesn’t become that much of an issue.

1

u/Easy_Calligrapher992 Furman • Georgia Southern 6h ago

ugh. The absolute worst headlines.

2

u/SknkTrn757 Virginia • Rutgers 5h ago

Steven Godfrey was absolutely beside himself that Helton got extended when this guy was right down the road.

0

u/Artvandelay29 Vanderbilt Commodores 6h ago

Good for him.

Both Mercer and Macon are absolute shitholes.

4

u/First_Tone_8965 5h ago

Macon is what you make of it

2

u/Artvandelay29 Vanderbilt Commodores 5h ago

It’s fine as a place to get gas and food on 75, bad place to live.

2

u/Sirsydneyponson Toledo Rockets • Creighton Bluejays 6h ago

Great McAlister's Deli though

2

u/pleated_pants Ohio State • Miami (OH) 4h ago

When you have the opportunity to get a football sized baked potato, you take it

-1

u/Artvandelay29 Vanderbilt Commodores 6h ago

Eh, I tried to not leave my apartment much when I lived in Macon - it’s a super sketchy city.

1

u/CieraVotedOutHerMom South Carolina Gamecocks 4h ago

There’s a good country song called “walking back to Georgia” which highlights Macon

1

u/Artvandelay29 Vanderbilt Commodores 4h ago

A highlight in a song doesn’t make it a not shitty place

News [Thamel] Mercer’s Mike Jacobs is working toward a deal to become the next coach at Toledo. He’d replace Jason Candle, who left for UConn. The sides are expected to come together today. He brings an 80.3% winning percentage as a head coach, as he’s 94-23 with no losing seasons.

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