Jacob DeCola
Jacob DeCola
Title: Head Coach
Phone: 517/629-0512
Email: jdecola@albion.edu
Education: B.F.A., 1995, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth; M.F.A., 1998, University of Utah
Record at Albion: 110-78 (.581) - 12 seasons

Jake DeCola Jacob DeCola came to Albion College in 2009 to begin the varsity lacrosse program. Under his leadership, the Britons have won Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament championships and achieved berths in the NCAA Division III Championship in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The Britons were the MIAA regular season champions under DeCola in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2021. DeCola also mentored players selected as honorable mention All-Americans by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association All-America honorable mention pick in those same seasons.

DeCola has mentored 39 all-MIAA first team picks, including the league's defensive most valuable players in 2015-18, 2021 and the offensive MVP in 2015 and 2017. In 2015, the Britons were among the NCAA Division III leaders in clearing percentage, scoring offense, face-off winning percentage and ground balls. In 2016, Kyle DeCamp was the Division III statistical champion in ground balls per game.

The 2015 squad finished as one of the last 16 teams standing in the NCAA Division III Championship and it came up just a goal short of upsetting third-ranked Ohio Wesleyan in the second round. The Britons hosted an NCAA Championship first round matchup in 2016.

Under DeCola's direction, the Britons have turned in undefeated records in conference play in 2015-17 and 2021.

In addition to building a successful program on the field, the Britons have built a reputation for sportsmanship and academic excellence that has garnered national attention. In 2015, the National Intercollegiate Lacrosse Officials Association awarded Albion with the James "Ace" Adams Sportsmanship Award, honoring the team whose coaches, players and fans exhibit the best sportsmanship in the region (District 6).  

In the classroom, Zach Hubbell, Dylan Neal and Joe Silvestri have achieved Scholar All-America status from the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, and Silvestri was selected as an Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Before the move to Albion, DeCola served for five years as the top assistant and defensive coordinator at Guilford College, in Greensboro, N.C. A member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, his Guilford defense competed yearly against top 20 nationally ranked opponents. In his tenure he mentored a pre-season All-American and numerous All Conference (ODAC) players. Prior to this, he was the head coach at Greensboro Day School, where his team was honored with the 2001 North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association’s Tony Cullen Sportsmanship Award.

After completing his master's degree from the University of Utah, DeCola was named head coach of East High School in Salt Lake City. Inheriting a team with a record of 1-11, he transformed the Leopards program, finishing the season 8-5 with the first trip to the state playoffs in school history.

Originally from the Boston area, DeCola graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth in 1995 with a B.F.A. in sculpture. While there, he was a four-year starter in the goal, led the Corsairs as a senior captain, and held a nationally ranked save percentage.

DeCola grew up on the north shore of Boston, in Beverly, Mass., and graduated from Beverly High School in 1991.

DeCola and his wife, Angela, are the proud parents of two children, Camille and Gianna.