Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
Matt Jacobs begins his first season at WSU after being named Head Strength and Conditioning Coach in January 2025.
Jacobs recently completed his 3rd Season at South Dakota State University serving as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for Jackrabbit football, where he oversaw the training and development of the team. The Jackrabbits compete in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and he was a part of 3 Conference championships and 2 NCAA FCS National Championships.
Jacobs earned both his graduate and undergraduate degrees from SDSU, going on to work with numerous FBS and FCS programs over the past decade.
Jacobs came to SDSU from Temple University, where he spent three years working with the Owls' football program, where they competed in the 2019 Military Bowl. Prior to that, he served two seasons as the director of strength and conditioning at Western Illinois University, where they competed in the FCS playoffs in 2017.
Prior to his stop in Macomb, Jacobs served six years at Northern Illinois as the associate director of sports performance. He assisted in coordinating all phases of the football strength and conditioning programs and oversaw all training for men's basketball and wrestling. The football team played in 5 MAC Championship games, winning 3 times. They also competed in 5 bowl games in his tenor, including the 2013 Orange Bowl.
He worked at Western Carolina prior to joining NIU, serving as the assistant strength and conditioning coordinator, and Jacobs also interned at North Dakota State University in the strength and conditioning department.
For two years he served as a graduate assistant at SDSU in strength and conditioning. Jacobs oversaw the programs for wrestling, swimming and diving, tennis, golf, and equestrian. During his time, he also assisted in the strength and conditioning for football, baseball, volleyball, soccer, and both basketball programs.
Jacobs earned the distinction of Master Strength and Conditioning Coach through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa) in 2023, which is undoubtedly the highest honor that can be achieved as a strength & conditioning coach. It represents professionalism, knowledge, experience, expertise, as well as longevity in the field. Jacobs also is certified as a USA W Level 1 Sports Performance Coach.
A native of Parker, SD, he graduated from SDSU with a bachelor's degree in health promotion and a master's degree in exercise science. He and his wife, Erin, have two children, Decker and Letty.
2008-2010: SDSU Graduate Assistant
2010: NDSU Professional Interns
2010: WCU Assistant Strength Coach
2011-14: NIU Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
2015-16: NIU Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning
2017-18: WIU Director of Strength and Conditioning
2019-21: Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning
2022-2025: SDSU Director of Strength and Conditioning — Football
2025-Present: Washington State University Football - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
