ERIE, Pa. - One of Gannon's all-time winningest softball coaches as well as one of Erie County's legendary coaches
Tom Jakubowski has announced his retirement. After a decade as the Gannon softball program's head coach, Jakubowski informed his team of the decision following a magical run to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Super Regional.
Jakubowski spent over four decades as a coach, teacher and athletics administrator on the high school and collegiate levels. His run included success at McDowell (Pa.) High School, Penn State Behrend and Gannon University. The veteran coach earned 798 career victories while coaching the Gannon softball team and McDowell softball, baseball, football, volleyball and bowling programs.
"I loved my 10 years at Gannon and I'm very proud of what we accomplished in the classroom and on the field," said Jakubowski. "I will miss the team tremendously. Its character and determination are incredible. The future is bright with 23 returning student-athletes for a team that set a new standard of excellence.
"Ten great years flew by. With my entire family living in Florida, I need to be with them. Someone will inherit the best softball talent ever at Gannon and I will be their biggest fan. Now I get to spend some much needed time with my beautiful wife, beautiful and talented daughters, two beautiful grandchildren with number three on the way and my two terrific sons-in-law.
"Thank you to my great staff of
Joe Dolak,
Michelle Wiley and
David Jakubowski for helping keep me focused on the task at hand which was to create a great program at Gannon."
Jakubowski definitely went out on top after arguably the best season in the program's 42-year history. The Lady Knights won their second consecutive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division regular-season title and captured its first-ever PSAC Tournament championship en route to its first-ever NCAA Division II Atlantic Super Regional appearance. The squad came out of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional 2 with a historic rally, blasting back-to-back two-out home runs to erase a three-run deficit during its last at-bat in the finals at No. 23 West Virginia Wesleyan. The Lady Knights then advanced to the super regional with a walk-off, two-out home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
"Tom has been a tremendous asset to Gannon University for the last decade," said Gannon Director of Athletics
Lisa Goddard McGuirk. "He has facilitated and modeled what it means to be a Gannon Knight - excellence. Tom's program has not only consistently excelled athletically and academically, but has been very involved in the community too. We cannot begin to thank Tom enough for all of his years of service and commitment to Gannon University and its students."
The Gannon softball program won 247 games, made eight consecutive PSAC Tournament appearances, qualified for the NCAA Tournament twice and been among the nation's best in academics during his 10 campaigns. He retires third on Gannon's all-time softball charts for victories (247) and winning percentage (.580). The Lady Knights reached the 20-win plateau nine times under Jakubowski who was named PSAC Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2018.
Gannon softball student-athletes earned all-conference (PSAC and ECAC) awards 35 times during Jakubowski's tenure. Lady Knights have earned all-region honors nine times during that time span. He also tutored a pair of PSAC Pitchers of the Year, a PSAC Athlete of the Year and ECAC Athlete of the year.
The program has been just as good academically under Jakubowski. Gannon has been among the nation's top 22 academic teams during eight of the last nine seasons. The Lady Knights' team grade point average ranked seventh (3.667) among all NCAA Division II programs in 2017, seventh (3.425) in 2009, eighth (3.498) in 2014, 13th in 2016 (3.55), 14th (3.381) in 2010, 17th (3.40) in 2012, 17th (3.443) in 2013 and 22nd (3.473) in 2015. In addition, Lady Knights have been named National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Scholar-Athletes 84 times during that time span. The program has also recorded the highest team GPA among all PSAC softball programs each of the last six years. Lady Knights have been named PSAC Scholar-Athletes 139 times during his first nine years.
Prior to accepting the Gannon head coaching position, Jakubowski served as the pitching coach for NCAA Division III Penn State Behrend during the 2008 season. The Lions finished 33-14 overall, won the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second time in school history. The program was led by a pitching staff which produced a sparkling 2.41 team earned run average and 2.2 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Jakubowski is also known locally for his long tenure at McDowell High School, where he served as a coach, teacher and athletic administrator for 34 years (1973-2007). He was the Assistant Director of Athletics for eight years (1992-99), before being elevated to the Director of Athletics for the next eight years (2000-07). In 2006, he was recognized as the Pennsylvania Region III Athletics Director of the Year.
On the field, Jakubowski saw tremendous success. In addition to his Penn State Behrend experience, Jakubowski posted a 156-57 record during 11 seasons as the McDowell head softball coach. During that span, the Lady Trojans won six league titles and a District 10 championship.
Jakubowski coached softball, baseball, football, volleyball and bowling during his tenure at McDowell. He boasts an impressive overall coaching mark of 551-205-2 while leading those programs at McDowell.
The Erie, Pa., native was a member of the District 10 Athletics Directors Association Executive Board (2003-07), as well as being the Vice President (2001-03) and President (2003-05).
Jakubowski served as the director for the District 10 softball tournament and the assistant director for the District 10 wrestling tournament. He graduated from Edinboro University in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in secondary mathematics. He and his wife, Mary Ann, are the parents of two daughters, Amanda (32) and Lindsay (27).
Jakubowski's Resume By The Numbers
- 45 years as coach, teacher and athletics administrator on the high school and collegiate levels
- 798 career victories (Gannon softball and McDowell softball, baseball, football, volleyball and bowling)Â
- Two-time PSAC Coach of the Year (2017-18)
- 257-179 record and .580 winning percentage as Gannon softball head coach
- Eight straight PSAC Tournament appearances
- Two PSAC Tournament championship game appearances (2015 and 2018)
- 2018 PSAC Tournament Champions
- 2018 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region 2 Champions
- Back-to-back PSAC Western Division Regular-Season Champions (2017-18)
- Two NCAA Tournament appearances (2015 and 2018)
- Program's First-Ever NCAA Atlantic Super Regional (Sweet Sixteen) appearance
- One of nation's top-22 academic teams eight times in nine years
- Produced nation's seventh-highest team GPA in 2017 (3.667) and 2009 (3.425)
- PSAC's highest softball team GPA six consecutive years (2012-17)
- 139 PSAC Scholar-Athletes
- 84 NFCA Scholar-Athletes
- Two PSAC Pitchers of the Year
- One PSAC Athlete of the Year
- One ECAC Athlete of the Year
- 35 all-conference selections (PSAC and ECAC)
- 8 all-region honorees
- 2016 Pennsylvania Region III Athletics Director of the Year
- District 10 Athletics Directors Association Executive Board (2003-07), as well as being the Vice President (2001-03) and President (2003-05)
- Director for the District 10 softball tournament
- Assistant director for the District 10 wrestling tournament
