A former player in the PSAC West with coaching experience at multiple NCAA levels, Jacob Craig enters his first season as the defensive line coach and special teams coordinator at California (PA) in 2022.
Craig was a linebacker at Clarion from 2015-16 before spending three seasons on the coaching staff at Saint Francis (Pa.). He most recently spent two years as the defensive coordinator at Saint Vincent, a NCAA Division III program.
Last fall, the Bearcats posted their winningest season since 2016 and made their first post-season appearance in a decade. Saint Vincent ranked second in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) with 18 interceptions and scored four defensive touchdowns. Linebacker Cam Norris repeated as an All-PAC Second-Team selection after ranking among the league leaders with 12.5 TFL and 7.0 sacks. Fellow linebacker Joanes Polynice paced the team with 67 tackles (39 solo) as a freshman and returned a pair of interceptions for touchdowns.
Craig started his coaching career at Saint Francis in 2017 with the outside linebackers before shifting to the defensive line the following season. He mentored NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year Jalen Brown in 2018, as the program featured the recipient of the award for the first time in five seasons. The following year, Craig aided in the development of All-NEC Second-Team honoree James Watkins, who ranked third on the team with 11.0 TFL and 4.0 sacks.
The Red Flash ranked among the top 15 in the country in 2019 in both total defense and rushing defense. Saint Francis also paced the league in both TFL and sacks per game behind the play of linebacker Da’Jon Lee, who led FCS with 24.5 TFL as a senior.
Craig started his collegiate career as a walk-on at Pitt and earned a scholarship in 2014 while a defensive signal caller. He then exhausted his eligibility by playing two seasons at Clarion and recorded a combined 119 tackles (56 solo), two interceptions and four forced fumbles. As a senior, Craig finished second on the Golden Eagles with 72 stops (30 solo) and was selected a CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-American.
At the scholastic level, Craig was a three-time all-area selection and received all-state honors at defensive end while at Berlin Brothersvalley. Additionally, he was a two-time district champion in wrestling and placed fourth at the 2012 PIAA Class 2A Championships at the 220-pound division.
Craig graduated from Pittsburgh in 2015 as a double major with degrees in architectural studies and history. He then completed a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with a concentration in social studies and a minor in athletic coaching from Clarion in 2017.
Craig and his wife Laura live in Berlin, Pennsylvania, with their three children, Camden, Cora and Crew.
