Longtime Nebraska women’s tennis coach Scott Jacobson announced his retirement last week. Jacobson just completed his 32nd season at the helm of the program, having guided the Huskers to 470 career wins. He previously served 11 seasons as assistant coach in Lincoln from 1979 to 1989.
The announcement follows a 16-10 season in 2022-23 where the Huskers bounced out of the Big Ten Tournament following two matches. Ten years ago, the Huskers won the Big Ten Championship and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. The team averaged 15 wins per season and made the NCAA Tournament six times since then.
“I would like to thank the University of Nebraska for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing institution,” Jacobson said in a statement. “I would also like to thank all of the assistant coaches that I have had the opportunity to work with at Nebraska.”
The three-time conference coach of the year issued a special thanks to two-year assistant coach Lisa Hart and former men’s coach Kerry McDermott.
“I am forever indebted to Kerry. And last but not least, I would like to thank all the wonderful human beings, both men and women, I have been fortunate to coach over the years,” Jacobson said. “You all have touched my heart and blessed me with so many amazing memories.”
Jacobson’s three-decade tenure as the Nebraska women’s tennis coach will likely be defined by that 2013 season. The Huskers accrued a 10-1 duals record in the program’s second year competing in the Big Ten to win the conference regular season title. Besides Jacobson, that Huskers team was led by Mary Weatherholt, the greatest player in program history. Weatherholt earned All-American distinctions in both singles and doubles that season. She and teammate Patricia Veresova made the Elite Eight in the doubles competition and Weatherholt finished her singles career as a the runner-up at 2013 NCAA Championships. Over her career, Weatherholt went 93-17 in singles and 80-22 in doubles at Nebraska.
That 2013 season also marked a fourth consecutive 20-win season. The Huskers ranked among the top 45 teams in each of those seasons.
“We want to thank Scott Jacobson for his leadership of the Nebraska women’s tennis program for more than three decades,” Nebraska Athletic Director Trev Alberts said in a statement. “Coach Jacobson has guided our women’s team for two-thirds of the program’s history, and he has served hundreds of student-athletes in our program. We celebrate his contributions to Nebraska and wish him all the best in retirement.”
Alberts confirmed the school will conduct a national search to find Jacobson’s successor. Whoever accepts the position will take over a roster with seven of eight returning.
Jacobson’s retirement comes at a time of rejuvenation for Nebraska tennis. The program has played at the Sid and Hazel Dillon Tennis Center since it opened in 2015. The Nebraska men’s tennis team finished No. 52 in the national rankings, its highest finish since the 2010-11 season. Nebraska faced 10 ranked teams in its final 11 matches last season before suffering a conference quarterfinal defeat. The Huskers also recently added Anton Shepp, a transfer from Texas-Arlington. Shepp qualified for the NCAA Championships this past season after winning the Western Athletic Conference singles title. Originally from New Zealand, he has two years of eligibility remaining.
