Michelle Jacoby Hometown: Pleasant Hill, CA Position: Head Coach Experience: Sixth Year Alma Mater: Pacific, 1989

Hired on April 28, 2000, Michelle Jacoby enters her sixth season at the helm of the women's basketball program. Saint Mary's finished 15-13 overall in her fifth season and 7-7 during WCC play. The Gaels finished 15-14 in her fourth season as head coach and led a young and talented team to a fifth place finish in West Coast Conference play with a 7-7 record. Jacoby's career record now stands at 83-63 in five years.

Jacoby's team in 2003-04 featured seven newcomers, including six freshmen, but the lack of inexperience didn't slow down the Gaels from having a productive season. Jacoby had four players earn postseason accolades, including two All-WCC Honorable Mention players and two WCC All-Freshman Team members. The team was led by junior Triola Jackson, and sophomore Evynn Van Burger. Freshmen Serena Benavente, Monica Mertle, and Lauren Shaughnessy all had a huge impact on the season.

This season the Gaels return 13 players, including all five starters from last year's team. Saint Mary's was picked to finish in fourth place in the preseason coaches' poll, announced by the West Coast Conference. The Gaels return All-WCC Honorable Mention Triola Jackson, who averaged 11.2 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game last season, and All-WCC Honorable Mention Evynn Van Burger, who averaged 9.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Two All-WCC Freshmen, Serena Benavente and Monica Mertle return for their sophomore seasons. Benavente averaged 7.6 points per game and 3.0 assists per game and Mertle averaged 8.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 2003-04. Lauren Shaughnessy returns for her sophomore season at point guard, which she started all 29 games last season, the only player on the team to do so.

The 2004-05 season is highlighted by a tough non-conference schedule, which features six NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago, three Pac-10 teams and a home tournament which will have two NCAA Tournament teams involved.

The Gaels finished 11-17 in her third season as head coach and led the Gaels to an unpredicted eighth place West Coast Conference finish. SMC struggled to start the season but soon Jacoby had the team running on all cylinders, showing potential for the season to come.

The Gaels returned three starters from a young athletic 2002-03 team. Saint Mary's ended the conference season with a 4-10 record although showing signs of improvement as the season progressed. Jacoby guided the Gaels to positive wins over Pacific, Montana, California and San Francisco, although SMC frequently found themselves without the senior guidance of Katie Davis, Julie Morris and Natalie Kelly.

In Jacoby's second season, the Gaels continued to impress, going to the WNIT for the second time in school history and fourth straight postseason appearance. Included in the team's 16-13 record was a 9-5 West Coast Conference record and a second place finish during the WCC regular season. Saint Mary's defeated Portland in the first round of WCC Tournament action, sending the Pilots home after round one for the first time in its school history.

In her first season as the Gaels' head coach, Jacoby guided the team to a 26-6 overall record and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Saint Mary's continued to be impressive at home, posting a 15-1 (.937) record in McKeon Pavilion, the best in school history. The biggest win was Jacoby's first game when she guided the Gaels to a 74-63 victory over 10th ranked Stanford. Jacoby also guided the Gaels to its first ever NCAA Tournament victory, a 65-62 victory over Texas.

Jacoby missed pulling off the legendary hat-trick in her first season. She led the team to victories over Tara Van Dever's Stanford team to open the season. Second on the list was the victory over Texas and the NCAA all-time winningest coach, Jody Conradt. The second round NCAA Tournament game against Tennessee placed Jacoby against Pat Summit, second all-time in wins behind Conradt. Saint Mary's handed the Lady Vols all they could handle, before eventually falling 92-75 to Tennessee.

Jacoby was the top assistant on the Saint Mary's coaching staff from 1997-00, helping guide the team to two postseason appearances, including the school's first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 1999, and the second in the 2000 Women's National Invitational Tournament, where Saint Mary's earned its first Division I postseason victory by defeating Hawaii.

Jacoby has been instrumental in the Gaels' outstanding success over the past seven years in which the team has accumulated a 134-76 overall mark as a part of the SMC coaching staff. Saint Mary's finished second in the West Coast Conference in 2000 with an 11-3 conference record, and won the WCC Tournament in 1999 for the first time in school history, advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Saint Mary's set a school record by winning 14 consecutive home games in 2000, and has had four consecutive 20-win seasons.

Jacoby, whose assistant coach duties focused on defensive play, helped coach the Gael defense to a #10 national ranking, as they held opponents to just 56.2 points per game during the 1999-00 season. In addition, the team was ranked seventh in the nation in rebounding margin, out-rebounding opponents by 8.8 boards per game. Also under Jacoby's strategic tutelage, Hilary Parker was voted the 1999-2000 WCC Defender of the Year. Jacoby was also vital in the success of the Dosty twins as Jerkisha was named the 2001-02 WCC Player of the Year and Jermisha was named the WCC Defender of the Year in 2001-02 and WCC Player of the Year in 2000-01. Both were selections in the 2002 WNBA Draft.

A 1989 graduate of the University of the Pacific with a degree in Sports Management, Jacoby was a four-year letter winner for the Tigers. She left the school as the all-time assist leader with 431, third-best in Big West Conference history.

Jacoby and her husband, Steve, were married on August 26, 2000 at Saint Mary's College. They currently reside in Pleasant Hill, CA with their daughters, Jenna and Kailey. Steve is the Assistant Director of Athletics for Game Operations and Summer Camps at SMC. A California native, Jacoby was a three sport standout in basketball, volleyball, and track at Lodi High School. She was named the San Joaquin Athletic Association Player of the Year as a senior in 1985 and is a member of the Lodi Hall of Fame.

Assistant Coaches:



Administrative Assistant: