Jakob Degenshein was hired as an assistant throws coach for the UTRGV track & field program on Jan. 11, 2024.
He joins the UTRGV staff after serving as the throws coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Lynchburg, his alma mater, for two years. He mentored nine student-athletes to all-conference honors in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) and two individual conference champions, helping the Hornets program win multiple team championships. He was also a throws coach at Liberty Christian Academy in Virginia for three years, guiding one state medalist, six state qualifiers and two conference champions.
Degenshein has experience coaching and developing student-athletes in all throwing events, including shot put, discus, hammer throw, weight throw and javelin. He has recruited men’s and women’s sprinters and jumpers in addition to throwers. He is skilled in creating and executing training and strength & conditioning programs focused on fundamentals and individual improvement. Additionally, while coaching at Lynchburg, he coordinated scheduling and created itineraries for track & field recruit visits.
His strength as an impactful coach stems from his ability to connect with his student-athletes on a personal level. This ability was not only showcased by the performances his athletes have turned in on the competition surface, but with their growth in the classroom. Degenshein reinvigorated the priority placed on academics for the Lynchburg throwers, leading to their cumulative GPA improving to a 3.54 by the end of his second year.
A product of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, Degenshein threw for Lynchburg for four years at the NCAA Div. III level. He won the ODAC javelin championship as a senior in 2021, helping his team claim the outdoor conference championship as he also took bronze in discus. Degenshein made the USTFCCCA All-South/Southeast Region team in javelin that season and entered the Lynchburg top-10 in the event. His career-best javelin throw of 53.68 meters currently ranks sixth all-time in Lynchburg history.
During his three full outdoor seasons with the Hornets (only competed in one meet in COVID-19-shortened 2020 season), Degenshein racked up five golds in javelin and 12 top-five finishes in the event. He took bronze in javelin and eighth in discus at his first ODAC outdoor championship in 2018 and was fourth in javelin in 2019, helping the Hornet men to a third-place finish at both conference meets.
Degenshein competed in all five throws at some point in his collegiate career before specializing on javelin and discus. He received several coaches’ awards and field athlete MVP awards during his career, voted on by the coaching staff.
Degenshein earned a Bachelor of Administration in Marketing in 2021 and completed his Master’s in Public Health in 2023, both from Lynchburg.
