In the fall of 2010, Angie Jacobs achieved a dream that many former student-athletes have: To coach at their alma mater. A four-year letterwinner with the Golden Bears, Jacobs accepted the role of volunteer assistant coach of the California softball team. With her, Jacobs brings 17 years of Division I coaching experience, the requisite softball expertise as well as the unique knowledge of what it means to be a Golden Bear.
Jacobs was on the team from 1985-89, redshirting in 1986. Ninemire was the head coach in 1988 and 1989 and assistant coach under Donna Terry for her first three years in Berkeley.
As the volunteer assistant coach, Jacobs will draw upon her greatest areas of knowledge - catching, first base and hitting. In her first year on the coaching staff, the Golden Bears returned to the hallowed grounds of Oklahoma City for the 11th time in school history for the Women's College World Series. For their stunning work in 2011, the National Fast Pitch Coaches' Association lauded the Cal coaching staff as the Pacific Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
Since graduating from Cal, Jacobs has played professionally both abroad and stateside. Since 1992, she has been in the coaching ranks across the nation. Prior to her return to Berkeley, Jacobs owned the Next Level Fastpitch Academy in Salt Lake City. She assumed the helm of the Utah program for the 2007 season after spending eight seasons at Miami of Ohio. With the Redhawks, she tallied the most wins by a softball coach in program history, taking Miami to its first-ever Regional appearance in 2005 after winning the Mid-Atlantic Conference Tournament Championship. In 2004 and 2003, her squad was the MAC Tournament runner-up.
Prior to Miami, Jacobs was an assistant coach at Utah (1996-98), Oregon (1994-96), San Jose State (1992-94) and Saint Mary's College in Moraga, Calif. (1990-92).
Aside from her head coaching duties, Jacobs has been a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association since 1991 and attained a four-star coaching certification from the National Fastpitch Coaches College in December, 2005, the highest certification possible. She was inducted into the Medford, Ore., Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
In 1989, she spent time coaching and playing for Fortitude in Italy, taking the club to a second-place finish in the Italian Softball League, and was also a member of Team USA at the Intercontinental Cup.
From 1991-96, the Medford, Ore., native played for the Redding Rebels of ASA Fastpitch. From 1993-95, the Rebels were the ASA Women's Open National Champions and she was an ASA All-American in 1991 and 1994. She helped her team to win the bronze medal at the 1991 Olympic Sports Festival.
Making the transition from ASA to the Women's Professional Fastpitch League, Jacobs led the Orlando Wahoos to the 1998 championship title and played for the Georgia Pride in 1997.
While in Berkeley, her senior campaign of 1989 was her personal best - leading the team in hitting (.341), doubles (nine), triples (three) and RBI (26). For her efforts, she earned second-team All-Pac-10 and first-team All-Region recognition. Jacobs was also awarded the Honda Inspirational Award in January, recognizing her comeback from a 1987 accident that severed her thumb from her throwing hand.
As a junior in 1988, Jacobs returned from that injury to become the Bears' top hitter, batting at a .290 clip with a .373 slugging percentage. That season, she ranked second in the NorPac Conference home runs with three and fifth with 25 RBI. She redshirted the 1986 season and hit .190 in 1987. As a true freshman in 1985, Jacobs was the NorPac Newcomer of the Year and named All-Conference and to the All-Region second team.
