Northern Iowa got a bargain when it hired Ben Jacobson

When a 34-year-old with no head coaching experience was hired to run the Northern Iowa men's basketball program, some assumed it was a move made for economic reasons.

The heartwarming thing would be to say then-UNI Athletic Director Rick Hartzell promoted Ben Jacobson to head coach because he was sure Jacobson was the right guy to replace Greg McDermott.

Which is completely true. But so is that economic stuff.

Jacobson signed for a base salary of $159,000 a year when he became head coach of the Panthers four years ago this week. That was increased to $289,306 last year thanks to contributions from outside sources. It was was bumped Wednesday to a guaranteed $450,000 per year through 2020, with $25,000 raises to come each year.

For the five years before he became head coach, Jacobson had been an assistant to McDermott, who left UNI for a similar job at Iowa State.

“After we went to our second NCAA tournament with Mac,” Hartzell said this week, “I figured somebody might be interested in him. I thought at the time it might be Iowa or Minnesota. So I told Mac, ‘Let's be sure to get Jake ready. I've watched you guys and he's the right guy.'

“He was really bright like Mac and was trained by Mac. He knew our guys, our values, our system, and our recruits. I was afraid if we decided to start over with someone else, we could backtrack the program and might not reach the same heights again. We could lose the recruiting class and be back to square one.”

McDermott stayed at UNI for another season. After a third-straight NCAA tournament appearance, he was hired by Iowa State, and Jacobson moved into the head coach's office. He drove to all the homes of all the recruits committed to UNI - including Jordan Eglseder and Adam Koch - and all remained committed afterward.

“I couldn't afford to get an assistant from an Ohio State or Duke or Texas and pay a half-million dollars,” Hartzell said. “I knew I could afford Jake. But I also thought he'd be really good.

“But I never thought in my wildest dreams he could be this good.”

“This good” is being 30-4 and playing in the NCAA's Sweet 16 against Michigan State Friday night in St. Louis.

“Jake's a very, very intelligent guy, a very patient guy, a very gentle guy,” Hartzell said. “He's a dad with young kids who understands young people make mistakes. He doesn't panic, which is a good coaching trait. If his team gets down six, eight, ten points, if he loses a recruit, if a kid gets in trouble, he doesn't panic.”

Jacobson spent part of his boyhood in Mayville, N.D., living across the street from the house in which Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson lived decades earlier.

“Even as a youngster, Ben was well-organized. Everything had to be in order,” said his father, Doug Jacobson. “When we lived in Bismarck he would get up early in the morning to go over to the YMCA and shoot baskets.”

Doug Jacobson is the superintendent of Barnes County North School District, covering 1,150 square miles in North Dakota.

Ben Jacobson played for two NCAA Division II Elite Eight basketball teams at the University of North Dakota, and was on the

 coaching staff there from 1994 through 2000. He has a brother who coaches the girls' basketball team at Shanley High in Fargo, N.D. Two of his brothers and his sister played college basketball.

Nick Jacobson, a cousin, sank a last-second 3-pointer to give Utah a win over Nevada-Las Vegas in the 2004 Mountain West Conference tournament final. That was recalled painfully last week in Las Vegas when Ben Jacobson's team used a late 3-pointer by Ali Farokhmanesh to knock UNLV out of the NCAA tourney.

Said Hartzell: “To me, the biggest part of that was the relationship that kid had with his coach. He was 0-for-6 in the second half and he stepped back and let it fly. That says to me he trusted the coach and the coach trusted him. I think the coach and those kids believe in each other and trust each other.”

“When Ali caught that ball,” Doug Jacobson said, “I know darn good and well that Ben and I thought the same thing. ‘Shoot it!' It made no sense to hang in there and let's hope to win. Let's play to win!

Doug Jacobson (also commonly called “Jake”) missed last Saturday night's gig at the West Fargo VFW with his band of 14 years, the Front Fenders. He is the group's lead singer, sings and occasionally impersonates Elvis Presley. But he had a more pressing matter, a 13-hour drive to Oklahoma City to watch his son's team make magic.

“Wasn't that awesome!” Doug said. “I still don't believe it.”

The Front Fenders must do without their Elvis again this weekend. The Jacobsons of North Dakota are driving to St. Louis. The newer star of the family has a national stage.