| YEAR | SCHOOL | RECORD | CONFERENCE | POSTSEASON |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | UNI | 20-28 | 5-16 (9th) | --- |
| 2009 | UNI | 34-22 | 15-1 (3rd) | MVC Tournament Second Round |
| 2010 | UNI | 28-25 | 13-12 (4th) | MVC Tournament Second Round |
| 2011 | UNI | 32-25 | 16-11 (4th) | MVC Tournament Quarterfinal |
| 2012 | UNI | 38-16 | 21-4 (1st) | MVC Tournament Semifinals |
| 2013 | UNI | 27-26 | 13-8 (4th) | MVC Tournament Champions / NCAA Regional |
| 2014 | UNI | 28-20 | 14-12 (5th) | MVC Tournament First Round |
| 2015 | UNI | 22-28 | 15-10 (3rd) | MVC Tournament Quarterfinal |
| 2016 | UNI | 38-19 | 16-10 (3rd) | MVC Tournament Quarterfinal |
| 2017 | UNI | 33-19 | 20-6 (T1st) | MVC Tournament Runner-Up |
| 2018 | UNI | 26-26 | 11-14 (6th) | MVC Tournament First Round |
| 2019 | UNI | 28-23 | 16-10 (3rd) | MVC Tournament Runner-Up |
| 2020* | UNI | 7-14 | --- | --- |
| 2021 | UNI | 32-20 | 20-7 (2nd) | MVC Tournament Runner-Up / NCAA Regional |
| 2022 | UNI | 32-14 | 22-2 (1st) | MVC Tournament Runner-Up |
| 2023 | UNI | 39-12 | 26-1 (1st) | MVC Tournament Semifinals |
| TOTAL | 464-337 | 240-134 |
4x MVC Champions 1x MVC Tournament Champions 2x NCAA Regionals |
Head Coach Ryan Jacobs
Coach Jacobs enters his 17th season as the head of the UNI softball program in 2023-24. With a career record of 464-337, he is the winningest softball coach in Panther history and ranks ninth all-time in wins in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC).
Jacobs has been part of the Northern Iowa softball program since assuming the head coaching position in June 2007. In that time, he had led his team to four MVC regular season championships (2012, 2017, 2022, 2023), the 2013 MVC Tournament title and a pair of NCAA Regional appearances (2013, 2021). UNI has also won 30+ games eight times under Jacobs, including in each of the previous three years.
UNI has posted 13 seasons with a record of .500 or better, and 13 seasons over .500 in MVC play, including nine straight years from 2008 to 2017. The Panthers' last winning season in MVC play prior to Jacobs came in the 2000 season when Meredith Bakley led the Panthers to an 11-7 mark in league play.
Prior to his arrival as head coach, the Panthers averaged 19 wins and 7.4 victories in league play. In his first 16 seasons, UNI has averaged 29 wins per season and 16.2 wins a year in the MVC. Jacobs’ staff has also been honored as the MVC Coaching Staff of the Year six times, including each of the last three years (2009, 2012, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023).
Several players have earned multiple honors playing for UNI and Jacobs. The Panthers have earned 69 All-MVC selections since Jacobs first season in 2008, including four-time honoree Jamie Fisher (2011-14), as well as three-time honorees Chelsea Ross (2014-16) and Sammey Bunch (2018-19, 2021).
Jacobs' teams have also been recognized with major seasonal honors, including the selection of four MVC Players of the Year in Sammey Bunch (2019, 2021), Emmy Wells (2022) and Mya Dodge (2023). Panther pitchers have also been dominant in the Jacobs era with four MVC Pitchers of the Year honorees in Jamie Fisher (2012), Alyssa Buchanan (2017), Kailyn Packard (2021) and Samantha Heyer (2023). UNI has earned eight MVC All-Defensive Team selections during Jacobs' tenure, including Anna Varriano (2015-17), Sammey Bunch (2018) Jenny Kohl (2019), Emmy Wells (2021-22) and Madison Parks (2023).
In the classroom, the Panthers have also excelled with 24 MVC Scholar-Athlete Team nods with Jen Larsen leading the way with four MVC Scholar-Athlete Team selections (2007-10). Jamie Fisher (2011-13) and Caitlin Wneck (2014-16) both earned three scholar-athlete team nods during their careers. The Panthers were honored as one of nine UNI programs by the NCAA in 2023 for their latest multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores with a perfect 1,000 APR multi-year score. UNI earned the same recognition in 2017 with a perfect score, marking the first time that the program earned the top-ten percent NCAA APR recognition.
Other notable honors during Jacobs' tenure at UNI include 14 NFCA All-Region selections, two MVC Newcomers of the Year in Caitlin Wnek (2013) and Kailyn Packard (2021), four MVC Rookies of the Year and 23 MVC All-Tournament honorees, including 2013 MVC Tournament MVP Jamie Fisher.
Jacobs is currently under contract as the Panther head softball coach through the end of the 2026 season after signing a two-year extension following the 2021 season.
UNI's historic 2023 season saw the Panthers rank as one of the nation's most productive units on offense in a year that included a program record 17 game winning streak, a school record 26 MVC wins and the highest MVC winning percentage in league history (.962) en route to a second straight regular season conference crown. The Panthers ranked in the top-15 nationally in eight categories, including doubles per game (1st), OPS (2nd), total doubles (4th), scoring (5th), on-base percentage (6th), home runs per game (7th), team batting average (12th) and total home runs (15th). UNI also recorded single-season program records in team batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, on-base percentages, runs batted in, home runs, OPS, runs scored, doubles, stolen bases, fielding percentage and the fewest errors committed, while also setting new MVC single-season records for doubles and RBI's. In a single game against Southern Illinois, the Panthers showed their power by hitting a single-game record eight home runs against the Salukis, the only team in the nation to do so during the season. Nine players earned All-MVC honors with outfielder Mya Dodge being named MVC Player of the Year, and Samantha Heyer earning MVC Pitcher of the Year honors with a 23-5 record and the third-best strikeouts per seven innings ratio in the country (11.0). Freshman catcher Alexis Pupillo was also named the MVC's Freshman of the Year and was named NFCA All-Region.
The Panthers returned to the MVC mountaintop in 2022 with their first regular season conference title since 2017 with a 32-13 record that included a then-program record 16 game winning streak, six All-MVC honorees, the MVC Player of the Year in catcher Emmy Wells, MVC Freshman of the Year Mya Dodge. UNI set program single-season records for slugging percentage and home runs, while leading the MVC in home runs, total bases and slugging percentage.The Panthers also ranked in the top-70 nationally in five offensive categories in home runs per game (17th), slugging percentage (26th), stolen bases per game (26th), scoring (36th) and doubles per game (63rd). Wells, Kailyn Packard and Dodge would also pick up NFCA All-Region honors.
After the cancelation of the 2020 season, UNI bounced back with another 32-win campaign in 2021 led by MVC Pitcher and Newcomer of the Year Kailyn Packard with a 1.80 ERA. The Panthers rattled off 20 wins in MVC play to finish as regular season runners-up with a pitching staff that posted the second best ERA in the nation at 1.47, and an offense that drew the 16th most walks in the nation, as well as the 16th most doubles per game nationally. In the batter's box, MVC Player of the Year Sammey Bunch ranked third in the country in on-base percentage and was in top-ten in Division I for slugging percentage. With six All-MVC selections and three All-NFCA honorees, UNI earned its first NCAA Regional berth since 2013 being placed in the Columbia, Missouri regional. The Panthers would pick up one win in the regional competition, coming in a 8-0 run rule game against in-state rival Iowa State.
UNI would only play 21 games before the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a record of 7-14, the Panthers won three of their first five games at home before beating Bryant 13-5 at the Hillenbrand Invitational. UNI also grabbed wins over Belmont and Lousiana-Monroe in Conway, Arkansas, as well as Utah Valley at the Northern Colorado Tournament.
Sammey Bunch led UNI to an appearance in the MVC Tournament Championship Game in 2019 as part of her MVC Player of the Year and NFCA All-Region season. Bunch ranked in the top-35 in four offensive categories including home runs per game (16th), slugging percentage (17th), runs per game (25th) and total bases (32nd), helping the Panthers to 28 wins, five All-MVC honorees, three MVC All-Tournament selections and a third place finish in the league standings. In the circle, Jaclyn Spencer posted the 17th best ERA in the nation at 1.40.
UNI finished the 2018 softball campaign with a 26-26 record and 11-14 record in league play, winning four league series during the year. The Panthers posted the MVC's top team batting average of .289, while Brittney Roby led the conference with 69 total hits. Sammey Bunch was named the MVC's Defensive Player of the Year, also earning All-MVC Team recognition alongside Roby and Olivia Brooks..
The 2017 Panther softball squad captured a share of the MVC regular season title by winning its final six league games and finishing at 20-6. Included in that six-game winning streak was a three-game series sweep of Illinois State on the Redbirds' home field, the first three-game series sweep for UNI over Illinois State in program history. UNI earned the No. 1 seed for the 2017 MVC Tournament and reached the title game with a 6-4 comeback win over Wichita State in the semifinals. UNI's Macey Wolfe provided the power as she drove in six runs - including a three-run walk off home run in the bottom of the seventh to send the Panthers to the championship game. UNI finished with 33 wins on the year to tie for the eighth most in program history, the 15th 30-win campaign in school history and fifth under Jacobs. It was also a milestone season for Jacobs as he earned the 300th win of his career.
The 2016 campaign saw the Panthers win 38 games to tie for the second-most wins in a single-season in the program’s history. UNI also set seven offensive records in 2016 in batting average (.300), slugging percentage (.475), on-base percentage (.406), home runs (58), walks (223), runs scored (312), and doubles (81). The Panthers also qualified for the 2016 MVC Tournament for the eighth consecutive season with a league mark of 16-10.
During the 2016 season, the Panthers were ranked in the top-100 out of 290 teams in on-base percentage (28th), home runs per game (34th), team win-loss percentage (37th), team ERA (44th), slugging percentage (49th), scoring per game (53rd), doubles per game (60th), and batting average (67th).
Under the direction of Jacobs, three players were ranked in the top-100 in the country for individual categories in 2016. Caitlin Wnek was ranked in sac flies (4th), toughest to strike out (5th), and doubles per game (40th). Wnek set a new single season record for sac flies with six for the season and a new career record for doubles per game with 56. Chelsea Ross ranked in strikeouts (33rd), strikeouts per seven (46th), on-base percentage (72nd), and ERA for pitching (74th). Kennedy Bailey was ranked for walks (19th) and set a new single season record with 44 walks. Jacobs had two All-MVC First Team players in Caitlin Wnek and Chelsea Ross. Anna Varriano was also named to the All-MVC Defensive Team.
In 2015, Jacobs and the Panthers made their seventh straight appearance in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament after finishing at 22-28 with a 15-10 conference record. On their way to finishing third in the conference, UNI grabbed no-hit victories over Southern Illinois at Robinson-Dresser Field and on the road at Loyola.
In 2014, UNI finished the year with a 28-20 record while four players earned All-MVC honors. On February 8, the Panthers defeated 10-ranked Texas 6-3 at the Louisiana-Lafayette Tournament. The UNI offense finished the season ranked in the top-25 nationally in two categories. The Panthers finished eighth in doubles per game with 1.60 per contest and 25th in home runs per game (1.08).
Jacobs helped coach former standout pitcher Jamie Fisher (2011-2014) into UNI's career record books. Fisher owns six career records including most wins (79), most career strikeouts (767), most complete games (97), most games started (126), most appearances (140) and lowest opponent batting average (.214). Fisher was named the 2012 MVC Pitcher of the Year while earning first-team all-MVC honors three times during her career at UNI.
The 2013 squad won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in school history. They also captured the first-ever NCAA Tournament win in UNI's program history with a 2-1 win over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
In 2012, Jacobs led the Panthers to their third consecutive winning season along with the program's first outright MVC regular season championship after finishing with a 38-16 overall record and 21-5 in conference play. Coach Jacobs once again proved his ability to put an outstanding offense on the field as the team finished third in the conference in batting average and in the top tier of almost every major offensive category. The team outscored opponents by 133 runs on the season. Coach Jacobs and his staff proved they are a rising program in the Midwest as they went on a 15 game win-streak extending from March 14th until April 11th.
It didn't take long for Jacobs to make his imprint on the UNI softball program as he guided the Panthers to one of their best seasons in school history in just his second year coaching during the 2009 campaign as the Panthers finished with a 34-22 overall record and 15-11 in Missouri Valley Conference play. Coach Jacobs and his staff were named the MVC Coaching Staff of the Year in 2009, which marked only the second time a UNI coaching staff has earned that honor in school history.
In 2012, Jacobs and his staff orchestrated a six-win improvement from last season, a five-game improvement in Missouri Valley play, and coached the Panthers to the most conference wins (21) in school history. This first place regular-season championship was also the top Valley finish for the Panthers in program history.
Jacobs also led the Panthers back to the MVC Softball Tournament for the second year in a row in 2012. Jacobs guided the Panthers to a 15-0 start in MVC play, the first time in school history the Panthers got off to that start in league action.
Jacobs, known for his offensive mindset turned the Panthers into an offensive juggernaut in 2009 as the Panther set a new school record with 52 home runs in 2009, eclipsing the previous record of 42 homers set by the 2003 Panther softball team. The Panthers led the Valley in nearly every offensive category in 2009, which included batting average, slugging percentage, runs scored, hits, RBI, triples and home runs.
During his first year as head coach, Jacobs led the Panthers to a blistering 7-1 record to start the season before cooling off and finishing with a 20-28 overall record and a 5-16 conference mark. Jacobs also helped the Panthers improve their overall winning percentage from .373 (19-32 overall) in 2007 to .416 (20-28 overall) in 2008 and improve one spot in the Valley standings.
The Panthers set a school record for team fielding percentage during Jacobs' first year after compiling a .971 fielding percentage, topping the previous school record of .961 set in 2001. Jacobs' squad only committed 41 errors, shattering the previous mark of 52 errors committed in a season back in 1998.
Jacobs served as the head softball coach at Cedar Falls High School from 2004 to 2007, guiding the Tigers to a 108-62-2 cumulative record. In 2007, the Tigers' squad finished with a 32-10 mark -- the second-best in school history -- and was ranked as high as fifth in Iowa's Class 4A. In Jacobs' tenure at CFHS, he guided six first-team All-Mississippi Valley Conference players, including one conference player of the year, five first-team all-district players and four all-state players.
After a season of playing professional baseball for the Richmond Roosters of the Frontier League and assistant baseball coaching stints at Cornell College and Cedar Rapids Xavier High School, Jacobs returned to Cedar Falls and UNI in 2001.
Jacobs is no stranger to Panther athletics. The Cedar Rapids native played two seasons for UNI's baseball team, from 1997 to 1998, helping the Panthers to a then-school record 32 wins and second-place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference. He served as an assistant coach on the Panther baseball staff, specializing in coaching the catchers and hitters. He also coordinated Panther camps and clinics and served as the team's first base coach. UNI recorded an average of 29 wins per season while Jacobs was on staff, including a school-record 35 victories and an NCAA tournament appearance in 2001.
Jacobs' coaching philosophy revolves around pushing players to their maximum potential and being able to outwork the opposing team. Jacobs looks to focus on playing the game "the right way" and hustling to outplay opponents.
Jacobs was a standout prep baseball player at Cedar Rapids Regis High School, being named both Mississippi Valley Conference Player of the Year and the Iowa Legion Player of the Year in 1994.
Jacobs and his wife, Kelley, reside in Cedar Falls with their two daughters, Haley and Emma.
THE JACOBS FILE
* Season canceled after 21 games due to COVID-19. No MVC games were played
