Jay Jacobs Position: Director of Athletics

Auburn Director of Athletics Jay Jacobs has a vision of leading Auburn Athletics to becoming the nation's preeminent Athletics Department. In his brief tenure at the helm of the Tigers' program, the department has prospered athletically, academically and financially.

Under Jacobs' leadership, Auburn Athletics has made major strides that have benefited Auburn student-athletes, coaches and fans.

Athletically, the Tigers have claimed seven national championships under Jacobs, including a school-record four titles in 2005-06 along with nine Southeastern Conference titles. Last year, the Auburn men's and women's swimming and diving programs each won NCAA titles, while eight programs finished in the top 15 nationally, including seven that recorded top 10 finishes on the national level.

Individually in 2006-07, Auburn produced 73 All-Americans, 37 All-SEC performers, 11 NCAA individual and relay champions, 24 Southeastern Conference champions and four Tiger student-athletes were named SEC Athlete of the Year in their respective sport.

Academically, Auburn has earned four public recognitions by the NCAA for scoring in the 90th-100th percentile nationally in the Academic Progress Rate (APR). The APR, which is a formula based upon student-athletes' retention and eligibility, has honored the men's golf team twice and the football and men's golf programs in 2006.

In 2006-07, four Auburn student-athletes were Academic All-Americans, four were named SEC Scholar Athletes of the Year, 106 earned Academic All-SEC honors and National Champion Kerron Stewart won the Honda Sports Award for Track and Field, presented annually to the nation's top collegiate female track and field athlete. A total of 40 percent of Auburn student-athletes earned grade point averages of 3.0 or better during the Spring 2007 semester, including 165 student-athletes that were honored at the annual Tiger Torch Banquet.

Jacobs, who gained strong business expertise as the Senior Associate Athletics Director in charge of Tigers Unlimited prior to his appointment as Director of Athletics, has initiated several successful business ventures for the Athletics Department.

In December 2005, Auburn signed a five-year contract with Under Armour Performance Apparel to be the official outfitter of the University's athletic teams. The five-year contract, worth over $10.6 million in sponsorship, product and additional benefits, provides Auburn's athletic teams Under Armour uniforms, cleats, apparel and accessories.

Auburn also extended its multi-media rights contract with ISP Sports for an additional nine years following the end of the current agreement in 2007. The new terms include revenue to the Athletics Department of an average of more than $5.8 million annually, more than double the previous contract of nearly $2.4 million per year.

Under Jacobs' leadership, Auburn has also moved forward with numerous facility projects designed to benefit Tiger athletic programs and their fans.

The approval in June 2007 of a new $92.5 million state-of-the-art basketball arena and practice facility ranks among Jacobs' most significant accomplishments. Groundbreaking for the new arena will occur in the summer of 2008 with the facility opening prior to the 2010-11 season.

The 243,792 square foot facility, which will be built on campus north and west of the existing Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum on Roosevelt Drive, will have an approximate capacity of 9,600. It will include over 29,000 square feet of student-athlete space, a two-court practice facility, coaches offices, the Auburn University Athletic Ticket Office, an AU Team Store, the relocated Lovelace Museum, two food courts along with many other amenities.

The most recognizable completed project under Jacobs' watch has been the Jordan-Hare Stadium Phase 1C renovation which was completed in August 2006. The renovations included new concessions and expanded restroom facilities on the west and east concourses along with a spacious plaza on the west side of the stadium.

For the 2007 football season, Auburn fans will enjoy a new $2.9 million high definition (HD) video display scoreboard in the south end zone. The first of its kind in the Southeastern Conference, the HD display will measure approximately 30 feet high by 74 feet wide.

In 2005-06, Auburn opened the new Rosen-Hutsell Track and a new wood floor surface was placed over the old tartan floor at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum. Other projects set for completion for the 2007-08 academic year include a new tennis facility west of campus, an outdoor training pool located at the old Luther Young Tennis Complex and a golf training center.

For Jacobs, it was only fitting that he was named Auburn's 14th Director of Athletics on Dec. 22, 2004, after working in almost every area of the Auburn Athletic Department for the previous 20 years.

It was the final step for Jacobs in a career that had allowed him to gain a wide range of experiences in collegiate athletics, from the perspective of a student-athlete, to the position of Senior Associate Athletics Director in charge of Tigers Unlimited, Auburn's fund-raising arm.

Jacobs grew up just 20 miles from Auburn in LaFayette and made several trips a year to the campus to watch athletic events. Later, after moving to Jacksonville, Fla., to attend high school, he returned to Auburn for college. After walking on the Auburn football team, he earned two letters as an offensive tackle in 1982 and 1983. As a senior, he started for the SEC Championship Tigers that finished the season ranked third nationally.

Not long after his career ended against Michigan in the 1984 Sugar Bowl, Jacobs started the journey that led him to being named Director of Athletics.

After one season as a coach at Lee-Scott Academy in Auburn, Jacobs returned to his alma matter in 1985 as the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. After serving two seasons (1986-87) as a graduate assistant football coach, Jacobs was named Conditioning Coach, a position he held for three years (1988-91).

In 1991, he became an Assistant Athletics Director. Three years later, he was promoted to Associate Athletics Director for Operations, overseeing a variety of support functions in the Athletics Department.

As the Senior Associate Athletics Director in charge of Tigers Unlimited from 2001-05, Jacobs oversaw the fund-raising efforts that secured approximately $60 million in gifts the last three years. He spearheaded a $90 million capital campaign, the largest in Auburn athletics history.

Jacobs earned his undergraduate and master's degree in business administration from Auburn in 1985 and 1988, respectively. He is married to the former Angie Sapp of Dublin, Ga. The couple has three daughters, Haley, Meagan, and Jayne.