From walkon to athletic director

Auburn Interim President Ed Richardson promoted Jacobs from Senior Associate athletic director for development. Jacobs will replace David Housel, who announced his retirement in March, in January. Housel will remain at Auburn for another year to assist Jacobs' transition.

Jacobs said he will incorporate many lessons he learned as an Auburn football player into his role as athletics director. The former offensive tackle earned two varsity letters and started on the 1983 SEC championship team.

"It mentally and physically teaches you perseverance," Jacobs said. "You may not want to go through some of those drills, but you just keep working and get through it. I know what those student-athletes are going through. I know what is happening with their time demands.

"I know what these coaches are going through having been a tight end coach and conditioning coach. I think those things are invaluable."

Deadlines past but something kept drawing Richardson back to Jacobs. Richardson targeted the end of September to find Housel's successor as Auburn's athletic director.

Richardson missed three self-imposed deadlines for hiring Housel's successor. He said a deep applicant pool complicated and extended his search. Richardson also addressed the perception that an in-house candidate might only be the Board of Trustee's puppet.

On Tuesday, Jacobs met with Richardson for a fourth time since the search began. Richardson said Jacobs' satisfactorily answered his questions and allowed him to conclude the most time-consuming search in his 10 months on the Plains.

"It has been the most difficult decision that I have made since I have been here at Auburn," Richardson said. "I finally met (a timeline). The applicants we had were all very well qualified. We only needed one. That was the major problem.

"It set the stage for the future of Auburn University as well as Auburn athletics. I wanted to have an athletic director who would be his own person, to be able to make the decisions to move this department forward and would be here for a long time so we would have continuity."

Jacobs will assume the day-to-day duties beginning on Jan. 4, the day after the Auburn football team meets Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.

After nearly two decades of service to Auburn's athletic department, Jacobs will oversee 21 athletic programs and a $47 million budget. Jacobs currently is responsible for the ticket office. He also was executive director of the Tigers Unlimited Foundation.

Jacobs directed Tigers Unlimited's fund-raising efforts to secure approximately $60-million in donations in the past three years. He is in charge of a $90 million capital campaign, the largest in Auburn athletic history.

First on Jacobs' agenda is reviewing organizational charts with Richardson and meeting with the coaching staffs. Jacobs said his mission is upholding Auburn's athletic heritage by providing the necessary tools, including academic, to keep the Tigers competitive.

"We want to be the premiere athletics department in this nation," Jacobs said. "I have always set my goals so that they're so high, that if we fall a little bit short, we will always be above average. I want to get my leadership team in place and start building a relationship with these coaches.

"The entire reason we are here is to support those student-athletes and the coaches. My immediate goal is to put things in place that I have outlined in my mind and build that relationship with those coaches and get those student-athletes the best opportunity to win in the classroom and on the field."

Concerns of Board of Trustee micromanagement was a point of contention for Richardson. Auburn was taken off probation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools its accreditation organization earlier this year. Jacobs insists he will solely be responsible for his actions.

"The only contact I have had with the trustees is running into them at social events and giving them courtesy greetings," Jacobs said. "I say that actions speak louder than words. I am tired of talking about it. None of those people have introduced themselves to me so I don't think I know any of them."

The Board of Trustees came under fire in November 2003 when members Byron Franklin and Earlon McWhorter flew on fellow trustee Bobby Lowder's corporate plane to secretly meet with Louisville football coach Bobby Petrino. Former President William Walker and Housel also were on that plane.

The clandestine trip, taken two days before the Iron Bowl, was exposed before Tommy Tuberville was fired and Petrino could be hired. Richardson was convinced there would be no trustee influence on Jacobs.

"The only negative as we looked at it, did not have anything to do with Jay but had to do with the perception that he was unduly close to the trustees and would not be able to make his own decisions," Richardson said. "That was a big concern of mine. I have searched that very carefully. I asked some very pointed questions. I am convinced there is no basis for making that charge or accusation."

Jacobs is a native of LaFayette, Ala. He began his tenure in Auburn's athletic department in 1985 as the Tigers' strength and conditioning coach. He joined the administration staff in 1991 and has served as associate athletic director for six years.

Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville endorsed Jacobs' promotion.

"I'm excited about that," Tuberville said. "I've had long talks with Jay. Obviously there are some perceptions out there about whether Jay could handle the job or not.

"Knowing Jay for six years, being a friend of his, watching him and listening to his ideas of how to set the athletic department up to make this the best in the country. I have no doubt that he can get the job done."