Jacoby promoted to assistant head coach for men’s tennis

Jake Jacoby, a key assistant to men’s tennis team head coach Matt Roberts for the past five seasons, has been promoted to associate head coach.

Jacoby joined Roberts’ staff in 2020 and has led the Bulldogs to the playoffs every year, including three trips to the Sweet 16 and two straight NCAA Regional hosts.

“I am extremely proud to promote Jake as my assistant head coach,” Roberts said in an athletics release. “Jake has worked tirelessly over the past five years to improve our tennis program. Jake is not only an excellent tennis coach, but also a ruthless recruiter and responsible for bringing in some of our best players in recent years. Additionally, Jake has built a strong bond with our team and those relationships have paid off in our success over the past few seasons.”

Jacoby was named the 2023 ITA Southern Regional Assistant Coach of the Year and has led six different student-athletes to 11 All-SEC honors during his time in Starkville. He also helped recruit and develop All-Americans Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez.

The Little Rock, Arkansas native has helped the Bulldogs to 81 wins during his tenure, including 30 wins over ranked opponents and 25 shutouts. The Bulldogs also earned the highest-ranked victory in the program’s 101-year history with Jacoby’s help, defeating No. 2 South Carolina 5-2 on March 19, 2023.

“I want to thank Matt, Tom Greene, Zac Selmon and everyone who makes Starkville and this program special,” Jacoby said in the release. “The community here and the opportunities to be successful are not possible without a complete team effort. Finally, I would like to thank every player I have had the pleasure of recruiting and coaching here at Mississippi State. They are the reasons why Matt and I do what we do, and they help make this ‘job’ more like a kid having fun every day. I’ve never been more excited to be a part of this program!”

MSU posted a 19-8 overall record this past season and finished third in SEC play. The Bulldogs reached the Round of 16 for the fifth time in the past six seasons and return seven letterwinners for the upcoming year, including a pair of All-Americans and a first-team All-SEC selection.

Philip Poe is sports editor.

MSU