Becoming Coach Jake

by Alexander Diegel

In Becoming Coach Jake, author Bill Saporito ’76 chronicles soccer coach Martin “Coach Jake” Jacobson’s spiral into drug addiction and near ruin — and then ultimate redemption. With little more than a soccer ball and hope, Jacobson went on to transform hundreds of children’s lives.

MORE THAN A SOCCER BOOK

Jacobson’s story centers on his well-documented personal record — 19 New York City Public School Athletic League Championships. But Saporito, who co-authored the book with Jacobson, also recounts the coach’s secret struggle with addiction, even as his teams soared.

After graduating from Ball State in the 1960s, Jacobson became a respected teacher, coach and guidance counselor, all while hiding rampant drug use. In the 1980s, his world crashed. He lost his job, his wife and his money, but Jacobson’s story wasn’t over yet.

CONTEMPORARY RESONANCES

“It’s a story of redemption,” Saporito says of Becoming Coach Jake. “It’s about reclaiming your life through soccer and through service to kids in need. It’s also a story that hits a number of contemporary notes, including America’s ongoing crisis with opioid abuse and the vilification of immigrants.”

Many of Jacobson’s students are immigrants — parents of some students don’t reside in the U.S. — but Jacobson’s program still manages a 95% graduation rate. “Coach Jake’s one of those everyday heroes keeping our kids safe,” Saporito says. “Without people like him, our education system fails.”

A MEETING OF PASSIONS

Saporito has been two things for all of his life: a soccer player and a journalist. An editor and writer for Time and Fortune magazines, respectively, he now serves as editor-at-large at Inc. magazine and contributes to The New York Times. It was Becoming Coach Jake, however, that perfectly blended his talent with his interest in soccer, which was stoked at Bucknell.

“Playing soccer at Bucknell was a tremendous experience,” he says. “It was critical to my passion for the game, maintaining it and growing it. Bucknell’s program is still important, and it makes me and my teammates happy to see how popular the sport has become at Bucknell.”

FACULTY Books

Zhiqun Zhu (Political Science & International Relations)
A Critical Decade: China’s Foreign Policy (2008–2018) (World Scientific Publishing, 2019)

Zhu surveys the changes and challenges of China’s emergence as a major power during its critical decade (2008-2018). Examining the key factors that have shaped China’s development, this book covers U.S.-China relations, global and regional cooperation, investment overseas and other topics.

Alumni Books

Allan Musterer ’65
Solomon’s Recipe (Affordable Publishing, 2019)

Through reflections on personal faith and analysis of Proverbs, Musterer seeks to help readers alleviate daily struggles caused by a reluctance to trust, reliance on luck, refusal to accept divine guidance and attempts to understand everything.

Jill Sturgis Thomas ’78
Twisted: Mindful Pretzel Consumption (self-published, 2019)

Thomas, the great-granddaughter of the founder of America’s first commercial pretzel bakery, provides an inside look into the origin of the pretzel, the evolution of pretzel baking, traditions, legends and recipes.

Beth Henry Dougherty ’96
A Robin’s Pageant (self-published, 2018)

Writing about three generations of women, Dougherty spins a story of love and loss that explores the complexities of motherhood and the remarkable moments that can be found in everyday life. Through the lens of one family, the author explores the relationship between the stories told and those left untold.

Hillary Billmyer Marotta ’01
Heart and Head: How to Run a Smart and Compassionate Nonprofit (self-published, 2019)

Marotta draws from her background in the nonprofit sector to guide those looking to start their own successful nonprofit organizations. Marotta provides real-life examples on topics ranging from hiring to fundraising to business strategy.