A new era of Toledo football is officially underway.
After years of stability under Jason Candle, the Rockets will have a new leader on the sideline in 2026. Mike Jacobs was named Toledo’s head coach on Dec. 10, 2025, taking over after Candle departed the program to become the head coach at UConn.
Jacobs arrives in Toledo with an impressive track record of winning everywhere he’s been. Now, the challenge will be carrying that success into the FBS level and keeping Toledo among the top programs in the Mid-American Conference.
His first coaching staff gives the Rockets plenty of reason for optimism.
Jacobs has surrounded himself with coaches who bring head coaching experience, familiarity with his system and a history of winning. Among the biggest additions are Cris Reisert as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Jahmal Brown as defensive coordinator and safeties coach, and Kory Allen as associate head coach and tight ends coach.
Mike Jacobs Takes Over in Toledo
Jacobs comes to Toledo after spending two seasons as the head coach at Mercer, where he quickly turned the Bears into one of the top programs at the FCS level.
Mercer went 20-6 under Jacobs, winning back-to-back Southern Conference championships in 2024 and 2025. The success was nothing new for Jacobs, who had already built winning programs during previous head coaching stops at Notre Dame College and Lenoir-Rhyne.
Across those three programs, Jacobs compiled an impressive 94-23 career record, winning more than 80 percent of his games as a head coach.
His connection to Ohio football also runs deep.
Jacobs played offensive line at Ohio State, spending time with the Buckeyes under both John Cooper and Jim Tressel. After building his coaching career through the Division II and FCS levels, Jacobs now returns to his home state with an opportunity to lead one of the MAC’s most established programs.
The expectations won’t be small.
Toledo has become accustomed to competing for conference championships, and Jacobs isn’t arriving to oversee a rebuild. He’s taking over a program that expects to win immediately.
Cris Reisert Takes Control of the Offense
One of the most interesting additions to Jacobs’ staff is Cris Reisert, who will serve as Toledo’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Reisert comes to Toledo after serving as the head coach at Gardner-Webb, giving the Rockets another coach with experience running his own program.
Before Gardner-Webb, Reisert built an impressive résumé at Tiffin University. He went 40-11 as Tiffin’s head coach and helped establish the Dragons as one of the top Division II programs in the region.
Now, he’ll be responsible for putting together Toledo’s new-look offense.
Having a former head coach running the offense could be valuable for Jacobs, especially during his first season making the jump to the FBS level. Reisert understands the responsibility that comes with managing an entire program and should give Jacobs someone he can trust with one side of the football.
His work with the quarterbacks will also be important as Toledo begins building its offensive identity under the new staff.
Jahmal Brown Follows Jacobs From Mercer
While several members of the staff will be learning how Jacobs operates, Jahmal Brown already knows exactly what the new Toledo head coach expects.
Brown follows Jacobs from Mercer and takes over as the Rockets’ defensive coordinator and safeties coach.
That familiarity could make him one of the most important additions to the entire staff.
Any coaching transition brings changes in terminology, philosophy and expectations. Having a defensive coordinator who already understands Jacobs’ approach should help make that transition smoother.
Brown was part of the staff that helped Mercer win consecutive Southern Conference championships, and now the two will attempt to recreate that success in Toledo.
The competition will be tougher, but the expectations remain the same: build a physical defense capable of helping Toledo compete for championships.
Kory Allen Brings More Head Coaching Experience
Jacobs added another experienced leader by bringing Kory Allen to Toledo as associate head coach and tight ends coach.
Allen comes to the Rockets after serving as the head coach at the University of Findlay.
Like Jacobs and Reisert, Allen has experience being responsible for an entire football program. That gives Toledo three coaches on the offensive staff alone who understand the demands that come with leading a team.
Allen’s addition also gives Jacobs another coach with strong ties to football in Ohio.
That could become important on the recruiting trail. Toledo has traditionally done a strong job of finding and developing talent throughout Ohio and the surrounding region, and maintaining those connections will be critical as Jacobs puts his own stamp on the roster.
A Staff Built Around Winning Experience
The biggest theme surrounding Toledo’s new coaching staff is experience.
Jacobs isn’t walking into his first FBS head coaching opportunity with a staff filled entirely with young assistants taking on bigger roles. He’s surrounded himself with coaches who have already led programs and understand what goes into building a winning culture.
Jacobs won championships at the Division II and FCS levels. Reisert has been a successful head coach. Allen has run his own program. Brown already understands Jacobs’ system after helping him win championships at Mercer.
Now comes the difficult part — making it work at Toledo.
The Rockets have established themselves as one of the MAC’s most consistent programs, meaning Jacobs won’t have the luxury of slowly building toward contention. Toledo expects to compete near the top of the conference immediately.
There will undoubtedly be changes as a completely new coaching staff takes control, but Jacobs’ résumé suggests he isn’t coming to Toledo simply to maintain what was already built.
He’s coming to win.
And with a coaching staff loaded with previous head coaching experience and familiar faces from his championship teams, the foundation for Toledo’s next chapter is already beginning to take shape.
