March 1, 2010
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Head Coach Tom Black added to his coaching staff recently, hiring Megan Jacobson as his newest assistant coach. Jacobson comes to the bluff after serving her second stint as head varsity coach at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, Ariz. since 2007. Jacobson, who also served as head coach at Pinnacle from 2003-05, spent the 2006-07 season on the Arizona State University women's volleyball coaching staff.
Jacobson turned the Pinnacle program around in her first stint at the school, building on a 2-15 record upon taking over the program in 2003 en route to a 14-3 mark and a 4A State runner-up finish in 2005. For her efforts, she was named the Arizona Republic Big School Coach of the Year, and the Northeast Valley Coach of the Year, in 2005.
In her one season at Arizona State, Jacobson was responsible for organizing and coordinating travel plans, assisting in recruiting, assisting in practice planning and training of athletes, and serving as the Assistant Sun Devil Camp coordinator. Jacobson helped the Sun Devils advance from an RPI ranking of 152 in 2005 to a ranking of 25 in 2006. That increase in RPI resulted in ASU reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the previous four seasons, as the Sun Devils advanced to the second round of the tournament.
On the club side, Jacobson has served as a Club Arrowhead coach and recruiting coordinator in Glendale, Ariz. since 2008. Under those titles, she developed and implemented a strategic recruiting plan to better help the club athletes earn collegiate volleyball scholarships. Organizing all practice sessions, game plans and management of the team, she guided her Girls 16U squad to an Arizona Open Region Championship. She has also served as a Gold Medal Squared Volleyball Weekend Series Camp Coordinator since 2003.
A four-year letterwinner at West Texas A&M, Jacobson was a member of three Lone Star Conference Championship teams, two regional championship teams and a Final Four team in 1999. A middle blocker, Jacobson was the MVP of the 1996 Mile High Classic and was a three-time All-Lone Star Conference selection. She graduated from West Texas A&M in 2001.
