Bio

Michael Jacobson was appointed the head coach of the men's soccer team on Feb. 12, 2018.

He completed his fifth season at the helm in 2023. 

In five completed seasons as head coach, Jacobson has led the Warriors to a 81-18-15 overall record with a 28-8-9 conference mark. The program has reached double-digit wins in four straight seasons. He's also led the team to the 3C2A SoCal Regional Playoffs in four straight years including a state championship in 2023 and a state final four apperance in 2021.

In 2023, Jacobson put together one of the greatest seasons in ECC men's soccer history. The team went 24-1-0 with a 9-0-0 record in conference play. The Warriors would go on to win the state championship in dominant fashion, outscoring their opponents 20-0 in five playoff games including a 4-0 win in the title game against Cuyamaca. It was the team's first state title since 1992 and fifth in program history. The Warriors would finish the season on a 22-match winning streak. Along with winning the state title, the Warriors were named National Champions by the United Soccer Coaches, becoming only the second team in the history of ECC Athletics to earn the distinction and first since the 1987 Warriors football team earned the distinction from J.C. Gridwire. During the regular season, the team won its first South Coast Conference tourament title since the tournament began in 2019. With the win, the Warriors ran through the conference with a perfect 11-0-0 record including tournament games. It also completed one of the greatest regular seasons in the history of the ECC men's soccer program as they won 19 of 20 matches with the only loss coming to then-top ranked Norco in the third match of the season.

In 2022, Jacobson completed his fourth season at the helm and led the Warriors to one of the best regular seasons in program history. The squad went 17-2-3 overall for an astonishing .841 winning percentage. Their 7-1-1 mark in conference play was the second best record in the South Coast Conference, both divisions included. The team would advance to the 3C2A SoCal Regionals, Third Round where they fell to eventual state finalist Mount San Antonio. 

In 2021, the Warriors finished the year tied for third in the state after advancing to the 3C2A State Semifinals for the first time since the 1992 went on to win the state title. On Oct. 7, the Warriors were ranked No. 1 in the state in the CCCSIA poll, the first time the program had earned the distinction in the existence of the poll. That came two days after the Warriors were ranked the No. 2 team in the nation in the United Soccer Coaches' NJCAA Division III weekly rankings, the highest the program has ever been ranked in the national poll.

There was no season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

Jacobson completed his second season with the Warriors in 2019 and led the squad to its best record since 1992. The 2019 Warriors went 14-3-5 overall with a 3-1-4 mark in South Coast Conference play. The season began with a historic run as the Warriors were unbeaten in their first nine matches, going 8-0-1 in that span with a seven-match winning streak capping off the run. The Warriors finished third in the inaugural South Coast Conference Tournament and then drew a No. 4 overall seed in the California Community College Athletics Association Men's Soccer Southern California Regional Playoffs.

The Warriors would win two matches before falling to eventual CCCAA State Runner-Up Mount San Antonio College.   

In his first season in 2018, Jacobson led the Warriors to a 7-7-6 overall record and a 2-2-3 mark in South Coast Conference action, finishing third in the South Division. 

Jacobson arrived to El Camino College after 12 years as the assistant coach for the men's soccer team at Cal State Los Angeles. A native of the South Bay area, Jacobson was a natural fit to lead the ECC men's soccer program.

In Jacobson's 12 seasons with the Golden Eagles, the team posted an overall record of 147-63-37 record. The Golden Eagles were 14-5-3 last season and qualified for the CCAA Championship Tournament for a seventh straight season. Cal State LA also won 10 games or more for a seventh straight year.

Along with his work with the men's team, Jacobson was also an assistant coach for the women's program for six years before the programs were split in the spring of 2013. During that time, the Golden Eagle women had an overall record of 72-32-19.

Prior to his time at Cal State LA, Jacobson had successful runs as a Director of Coaching for South Bay Soccer Club, which has connected with the L.A. Galaxy and is now known as the L.A. Galaxy South Bay. He was the head coach for various age group teams between the ages of 9-19. With the emphasis on development at the youth level, Jacobson oversaw coaches and players. He also helped guide numerous players to compete in college soccer as well as gave opportunities for placement on Olympic Development teams and participation on age-level U.S. National teams. He has coached numerous players who are currently playing at the professional level who came out of the South Bay Soccer Club.

In 2001-02, Jacobson served as an assistant men's soccer coach at Cal State Dominguez Hills where he helped the Toros reach the NCAA Division II championship match.

Prior to that stint, Jacobson was the assistant men's coach at Division I Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania in 2000-01 and helped the Bisons beat then-No. 8 ranked South Carolina, the first victory for any team from Bucknell over a nationally-ranked Top 10 opponent. Jacobson started his coaching career at Plattsburg State University in 1998.

Jacobson holds an "A" license from the United States Soccer Federation and received his USSF National Goal Keeping license in January of 2010.

Jacobson enjoyed a successful playing career collegiately at Syracuse University, where he was a four-year starter. He graduated with his bachelor's degree in physical education at Syracuse in 1998 and completed his Master's degree from Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2008. He was an alternate member of the U.S. Maccabbi team and then played professionally for two years in Albany for the Allycats and the Myrtle Beach Sea Dawgs in South Carolina.

Jacobson and his wife, Nicole, reside in Redondo Beach with their son, Jack, and daughter, Rachel.

Mike Jacobson Coaching Record & Career

United Soccer Coaches' Coach of the Year Awards: 1 (2023)
United Soccer Coaches' National Players of the Year: 1 (Marvin Gamez; 2023)
United Soccer Coaches' All-Americans: 6 (3 First Team, 3 Second Team; last, Marvin Gamez (1st), Nicholas Baltazar (1st), Jovanny Mejia (2nd), Donovan Palomares (2nd) - 2023)
United Soccer Coaches' Scholar All-Americans: 4 (1 First Team, 3 Second Team; last, Nicholas Baltazar (1st), Bogart Roca (2nd) - 2023)
United Soccer Coaches' All-West Region: 5 (last, Donovan Palomares, Nicholas Baltazar, Marvin Gamez, Jovanny Mejia, First Team - 2023)
3C2A All-State Selections: 3 (last, Marvin Gamez, 2023)
3C2A All Region Selections: 6 (last, Three selected, 2023)
South Coast Conference Coach of the Year Awards: 1 (2023)
All-South Coast Conference Selections: 38 (Three SCC Goalkeeper of the Year, Two SCC Offensive Player of the Year, One SCC Defensive Player of the Year, 16 First Team, 16 Second Team)
South Coast Conference Offensive Players of the Year: 2 (last, Marvin Gamez, 2023)
South Coast Conference Defensive Players of the Year: 1 (Nicholas Baltazar, 2023)
South Coast Conference Goalkeepers of the Year: 3 (last, Donovan Palomares, 2022-23)
Career Head Coaching Record (Five Seasons): 81-18-15 (28-8-9)
Career Assistant Coaching Record (12 Seasons): 147-63-37 (106-38-22)

* - Assistant Coach
$ - State Champions
! - Season Cancelled Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

FURTHER BREAKDOWN

ALL CONFERENCE SELECTIONS, BY YEARS (38)

2023: 11 Selections (Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Four First Team, Four Second Team)
2022: Eight Selections (Offensive Player of the Year, Co-Goalkeeper of the Year, Three First Team, Three Second Team)
2021: Seven Selections (Goalkeeper of the Year, Three First Team, Three Second Team
2020: No Season - COVID-19 Pandemic
2019: Six Selections (Three First Team, Three Second Team)
2018: Six Selections (Three First Team, Three Second Team)

UNITED SOCCER COACHES' ALL-AMERICANS, BY YEARS (6)

2023: Four Selections (Two First Team, Two Second Team)
2022: One Selection (Second Team)
2021: One Selection (First Team)

**Updated 6/13/24**