Ben Jacobson was named head men's basketball coach at the University of Northern Iowa, UNI director of athletics Rick Hartzell announced today. Jacobson, an assistant coach for the Panthers the past five seasons, replaces Greg McDermott, who was named head coach at Iowa State University Mar. 21.

Jacobson becomes the 21st head men's basketball coach in UNI history dating back to 1900. He has signed a five-year contract with a base salary of $150,000, plus a bonus and incentive package.

"I have never been more excited and energized about a head coaching appointment in my career than I am with the hiring of Ben Jacobson as our head men's basketball coach," Hartzell said. "Ben is ready to take this step. He has the support of the current team and our recruiting class, and he will do a great job of maintaining the excellence that we have built in our men's basketball program. Jake is exactly the right guy at the right time for UNI. We have much to look forward to in this program and we will not, under any circumstances, do anything but try to move this program even further forward than it currently is."

"I am most pleased for our university that coach Jacobson will be our next head men's basketball coach," said UNI vice president for administration and finance Tom Schellhardt. "He has all the qualities that you look for in a coach. He is well respected by his players and fellow coaches, and is a great ambassador for UNI. If you look at coach Jacobson's history, he has made a positive mark in everything he has done as a student-athlete and as a coach. Ben has been an integral part of our men's basketball success these past several years and we will continue that success under his leadership. We are delighted that he will continue to be a part of the UNI family."

Jacobson has been the Panthers' top assistant coach the past five seasons, serving as associate head coach during the 2005-06 campaign. The team's primary recruiter, Jacobson has been a key part of the renaissance of UNI basketball, helping guide the Panthers to a 90-63 record the past five years, including a sparkling 65-31 mark the past three seasons. The Panthers have qualified for the NCAA tournament each of the past three years (2004, 2005 and 2006), and posted three straight 20-win seasons for the first time in school history. In 2004, UNI claimed its first-ever Missouri Valley Conference tournament title and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. UNI backed that up by receiving consecutive at-large bids to the tournament in both 2005 and 2006.

This will be the first head coaching job for Jacobson, who has 12 years of assistant coaching experience. Prior to joining McDermott in Cedar Falls beginning with the 2001-02 campaign, he served one season as an assistant coach under McDermott at Division II North Dakota State. His responsibilities there included serving as recruiting and academic coordinator, in addition to summer camp director.

"I'm humbled and honored to be the head coach at the University of Northern Iowa," Jacobson said. "The excitement level for Panther basketball is at an all-time high and I look forward to continuing the growth of our program. With the players we have returning and the current recruiting class, I know we have the pieces in place to be successful. I want to thank Rick Hartzell and Tom Schellhardt for their support and confidence in me, and in making my dream of becoming a head coach a reality today. I have a great working relationship with both Rick and Tom and I hope to lead this program in a way that will make them both proud."

Jacobson has a long history in the North Central Conference, having played at North Dakota from 1989-93. He was a four-year letterman for the Sioux, a two-year starter, and he ended his career as the school's all-time assist leader. UND made two Elite Eight appearances and four regional appearances, along with winning two conference championships, during his career. He was team captain in 1991-92 and 1992-93, was named to the NCC's All-Academic Team in 1993, and was a player representative to UND's letterwinner's Association from 1991-93.

He was a student assistant coach at North Dakota from 1993-94. From 1994-96, he was a graduate assistant at UND and became a full-time assistant coach for the Sioux from 1996-2000, prior to spending the 2000-01 season at NDSU.

A native of Mayville, N.D., he graduated from Mayville-Portland High School in 1989 as Valedictorian. He received his bachelor's degree in physical education from North Dakota in 1994. His wife's name is Dawn, and the couple has two children: Hunter (2) and Tanner, born Sept. 6, 2005.

The Ben Jacobson File

Birthdate -- December 16, 1970

Hometown -- Mayville, N.D.

Family -- Wife, Dawn. Two sons, Hunter (2) and Tanner (six months)

Coaching Experience

UNI, Head Coach -- 2006-present

UNI, Associate Head Coach -- 2005-2006

UNI, Assistant Coach -- 2001-2005

North Dakota State, Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator -- 2000-01

North Dakota, Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator -- 1996-2000

Playing Experience

University of North Dakota, 1989-1993

Four-Year Letterwinner

Two-Year Team Captain

Education -- University of North Dakota, bachelor's degree, physical education, 1994