Former BYU Football Player Lands First Head Coaching Role
Apr 20, 2022, 4:01 PM
Former BYU football defensive back Tanner Jacobson is the new head coach at Tyler Junior College in Texas. (Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo)
(Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo)
SALT LAKE CITY – A former BYU football player who played for Kalani Sitake has already emerged as a head coach for a college program.
Tanner Jacobson, a three-year safety at BYU from 2016 to 2018, is the new head coach at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas.
Help us in welcoming our new Head Football Coach @tjjacobson25 to the Apache family! pic.twitter.com/sx3akJhtuP
— Tyler JC (@TJCFOOTBALL) April 20, 2022
The younger brother to former BYU wide receiver McKay Jacobson, Tanner transferred to BYU after a season at Texas Tech. He started in five games and played in 23 at BYU, recording 62 tackles and an interception.
A native Texan who prepped at the prestigious Southlake Carroll High, Jacobson has strong ties to the state of Texas.
Tanner Jacobson began his coaching career with BYU Football
After his playing days concluded, he became a defensive graduate assistant on Kalani Sitake’s staff for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He then was a position coach for Zac Erekson’s staff at Snow College in Ephraim for the 2021 spring and fall seasons.
Tyler Junior College had a sudden opening with their head coach position after the previous headman, Thomas Rocco, took the cornerback coach position at Sam Houston State.
“I am excited and thankful to continue my career as head coach at Tyler Junior College,” said Tanner Jacobson in a press release. “I am driven by examples of coaches and mentors that made an impact in my life as a player and coach. I look forward to this opportunity to mentor many young student-athletes here in Tyler and to have an impact on these kids, similar to how my coaches impacted me.”
While at BYU, Jacobson bounced between safety and the flash linebacker spot, coached by BYU’s assistant head coach Ed Lamb. Lamb praised Jacobson’s quick rise to a head football coach position.
“Tanner was a uniquely versatile, smart player who contributed in all three phases of the game during his playing days at BYU. His upward trajectory in the coaching world is no surprise. He is serious-minded, hardworking and has always had great rapport with the student-athletes in his charge.”
Last season, Tyler Junior College finished ranked 12th in the final NJCAA rankings.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
