David Jacobs was named head coach of its men's soccer team in December 2016.

In his first season at Trine in 2017, Jacobs led the Thunder to an appearance in the MIAA Tournament, marking the second time since joining the conference the team has done so.

Then in 2018, the Thunder made a repeat appearance in the conference tournament to host a first-round game and advanced to the second round, the farthest Trine has advanced since the MIAA adopted tournament play in 2011, where it fell to eventual tournament runner-up, Adrian College, by penalty kicks.  Trine finished the season with a 13-3-2 overall mark, its most victories since 2011 in which the Thunder also posted 13 wins (13-5-2).  Two players earned All-MIAA honors, including one first-team honoree who was also named the conference "Newcomer of the Year" in Nooh Aljabaly.  Aljabaly became the first Trine player to earn first-team recognition since 2012.

The Thunder continued their streak in the MIAA Tournament with a third-straight appearance in 2019.  The Thunder also had a player earn All-MIAA honors in Aljabaly who earned his second All-Conference honor as a second-team pick.  

In 2020, the Thunder ended its season with an 11-5 record, its best since the 2018 campaign in which the Thunder posted a 13-3-2 mark. Trine also advanced to the conference tournament championship game for the first time since joining the NCAA and the MIAA. To wrap up the season five members of the team earned All-MIAA awards. Jared Cromwell became the second student-athlete to earn first team All-MIAA under Jacobs. 

The team continued to improve in 2021 by winning their first ever MIAA Tournament Championship and reaching the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Thunder held a record of 12-8-1 overall and held Albion, Calvin and Kalamazoo scoreless en route to the NCAA Tournament, where they ultimately fell to Otterbein in the First Round. Tyler Murphy was selected as an All-MIAA recipient and is Coach Jacobs' first All-Region honoree (Second Team).

In 2022, Trine tied for third in the MIAA with a 9-7-3 overall record and 3-2-2 mark in league action. The Thunder had four All-MIAA honorees, including First Team selection Francesco Mazzei. The CSC named Tyler Murphy a First Team Academic All-American, the first in program history.

In six seasons at the helm, Jacobs' teams have turned a 0-16-3 season in 2016 (year prior to Jacobs becoming head coach) to double digit victories in two of the last three seasons. Overall, Jacobs holds a record of 56-39-12 (.579 winning percentage).

Jacobs was named head coach of Midland Odessa Sockers FC of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) in 2020. As head coach Jacobs guided his team to third place in the conference and the club's sixth straight appearance in the playoffs. 

Jacobs most recently served as head coach at Ancilla College in Plymouth, Indiana. While at Ancilla, Jacobs led the Chargers to two Michigan Community College Athletic Association Championships, including their first outright title in program history. Jacobs went on to lead the team to a semifinal appearance in the National Junior College Athletic Association Men's Soccer National Tournament and had an overall coaching record of 30-5-2, highlighted by an 18-2 mark in 2016. Jacobs was named MCCAA Coach of the Year as well as being tabbed Region 12 Coach of the Year and District 20 Coach of the Year accolades in 2016. He also founded a junior varsity program in his first season.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to make an impact at Trine University," Jacobs said. "I'm looking forward to changing the trajectory of the program and creating a winning culture on the field, in the classroom and in the community."

In addition to his time at Ancilla, Jacobs brings experience from multiple levels of soccer to the Thunder men's soccer program. He has head coaching experience from both the high school and club levels, as well as assistant coaching stops at Bethel College and Judson University. Jacobs also played goalkeeper in professional organizations in the United States and Mexico.

"David's proven track record of winning and improvement at every stop will be a tremendous asset for Trine," said Matt Land, Assistant Vice President for Athletics. "His character, skill as a recruiter and playing experience will prove beneficial for our student-athletes."

During the summer of 2016-17, Jacobs served as an assistant coach with the Midland Odessa FC, formerly "The Sockers," made it to the national semifinals of USL/PDL. In 2017, the team advanced the national semifinals of the National Premier Soccer League in Midland, Texas and helped guide the team to the national championship out of 96 total teams.  The team also qualified for the US Open Cup three straight years.

Jacobs graduated from Bethel College with a general studies degree in 2014. Jacobs and his wife Kara have two daughters - Olivia and Ella.