California basketball coach overcomes heart attack, leads boys and girls high school teams to championships
SAN FRANCISCO — On New Year’s Eve, Lincoln boys basketball coach Carl Jacobs needed a 9-1-1 call and a New Year’s resolution.
“At first I felt exhausted and then just very, very uncomfortable,” said the 61-year-old who has spent 41 of them coaching high school basketball. “Paramedics came and my vitals all looked good. But then they took an EKG and said, ‘you’re going to the hospital.’ “
The right artery of his heart was completely clogged that required a fairly simple procedure to clear, he said. “I was in and out of the hospital in three days,” Jacobs said. “The whole thing was a wake up call for my health.”
Doctors prescribed rest, medication (aspirin) and a better diet, all which Jacobs said he followed to a T.
Carl Jacobs honored by the Golden State Warriors in 2022 for his 40 years of community service for "promoting wellness off the court, including mental, emotional and academic support systems."
Courtesy photo: Golden State Warriors
They probably didn’t recommend Jacobs taking on another basketball team.
The Lincoln girls team, one of the school’s best in recent history, needed a new coach at midseason so Jacobs, also the school’s athletic director, raised his hands enthusiastically.
“My wife (Neria) said, ‘You’re going to do double duty? Are you crazy?” Jacobs said.
But Jacobs was quite serious. Serious as, well, a heart attack.
“She knows how important coaching basketball is to me and that it actually relieves stress,” Jacobs said. “It’s not work for me. It’s actually really helped in the healing process.”
Evidently, winning basketball helps heal all ills.
Lincoln's boys celebrating a third straight and 14th San Francisco Section title Friday at Kezar Pavilion
Courtesy photo: Lincoln Athletic Department
Best Seat in the House
Since Jacobs took over both teams on Jan. 9, the Mustangs have gone a combined 32-1 and on Friday each program won San Francisco Section championships, the first time it’s been accomplished since the school was founded in 1940.
Before a large and raucous crowd at historic Kezar Pavilion, the boys (21-10) won their third straight SFS title and 14th overall with a 61-53 victory over arch-rival Lowell. About 90 minutes later on the same floor, the girls pulled off the sweep, sprinting to a 47-27 halftime lead, extending it to 30 points, before winning 73-67 — also over Lowell — the program’s seventh SFS crown and first since 2017.
The teams will host CIF Northern California Division 4 regional games back-to-back on Tuesday. The girls play Lincoln of Amador County at 5 p.m. followed by Lincoln boys taking on Gridley of Butte County at 7 p.m.
“What a great night to be a Mustang,” Jacobs said of Friday night’s section title sweep. “And I had the best seat in the house coaching both games. I feel like a very blessed man.”
The players are grateful also, especially the girls, whose season was somewhat in limbo after the previous coach, a current full time teacher on campus, was placed on leave “for undisclosed reasons,” according to the school’s principal Shari Balis Manalang.
Jacobs, who coached boys and girls simultaneously at International High School for three seasons starting in 2004-05, is filling in until a decision is made on a permanent girls coach. Likely nothing will be finalized this season. The girls are 17-0 under Jacobs and 23-4 overall with two forfeit losses.
Assistant coaches Davina Wong and James Taylor (girls), along with Matt Fegan, Ryan Chu, Dondre Gray (boys) have allowed Jacobs to run both programs. When the boys and girls have played games at different sites, he generally has coached the boys.
Everyone has bought in and supported one another to make it work, Jacobs said. The programs have grown closer. "I'm proud of everyone involved," Jacobs said. "Everyone has been so supportive to help make this work. Ultimately this is about kids. Finding a coach for the girls at midseason wasn't going to work. This seemed like the best solution."
A tower of strength and giant figure at school and the community for more than four decades — he was recently honored by the Golden State Warriors for his service — Jacobs' coaching style was immediately embraced by the girls.
Lincoln girls after winning their seventh SFS championship Friday at Kezar Pavilion.
Courtesy photo: Lincoln athletic department
No Sugar Coating
“(Jacobs) is a tough coach but also fun,” said Lincoln’s leading girls scorer Kellis Powell, one of seven seniors on an 11-person squad. “He’s super honest and doesn’t sugar coat anything. He wants all his players to be successful and pushes you and is definitely looking out for us.”
So are the Lincoln boys, who sometimes now practice with the girls. While the boys, with just two players back from last year’s stellar 27-4 squad, came into the season inexperienced trying to mesh, the girls are cohesive and confident.
“They’ve been a breath of fresh air, honestly,” Jacobs said. “They’ve really rejuvenated me. They just really get after it.
“I wouldn’t say they were cocky — they’re very soft spoken. But on the court they are fierce. Sometimes I look at them out there and think, ‘are these the same girls who barely say anything off the court or in warmups?”
That energy, ignited also by other senior sets of twins Kaitlin and Brianna Nguyen, and Ciara and Tiara Ieremia, along with 6-foot Shridavi Raghavan, a junior transfer from Riordan, has literally woke Jacobs at times.
“I’ll admit, some days are hard physically and I’m tired going to a second practice,” Jacobs said. “But the girls with their play and passion, and how quickly they pick stuff up immediately gets me excited for basketball.”
Lincoln boys basketball team with Carl Jacobs front and center before the season.
Courtesy photo: Lincoln athletic department
Imposing Wills
Boys team co-captain Nathan Yip has been equally impressed watching the girls pick up new defensive concepts, especially in the full court. “Our motto is to ‘Impose your will’ and you can see the girls really have responded to that. They’re a really talented team. They really attack. And you can see they have good chemistry.”
It’s filtered to the boys as well, who started the season 3-9 before winning 18 of their last 20. With injuries, three transfers, and so many first-year varsity players, the Mustangs finally were at full force just two weeks ago.
Yipp and 6-foot junior guard Ceyaan Lutt are the only returners. Vastly-improved junior guard Sommari Tanner averages nearly 20 points per game — he had 21 in Friday’s win and has a season-high of 40 points — and 6-4 senior post DeMarco Reed Jr. (16 points, 9.1 rebounds per game), a transfer from Mission, have keyed the team’s late surge. Commitments to one another, fitness via Murray Athletic Development (MAD) and the program's tradition have also been key.
"The boys have really battled to get to this point," Jacobs said. "I'm super proud of them."
Back-to-back game-winning shots by Tyrrell Price and Tanner at the Marin Catholic Tournament also helped turn the season around. That was just before New Year’s Day when Jacobs had the attack. Then two seasons turned around.
“Life works in mysterious ways,” Jacobs said.
What remains a mystery is if both teams win Tuesday, where will Jacobs go? The Mustangs will play at different sites, the boys likely traveling 200 miles southeast to Fresno County and the girls likely 270 miles North to Eureka in Humboldt County.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Jacobs said. "I hope I'll have a decision to make."
(More celebration shots below courtesy of Lincoln athletic department)
Seven Lincoln seniors on 23-4 squad.
Both programs hosted an All-Star game.
Courtesy photo: Lincoln athletic department
