LINCOLN, Neb. — After a nationwide search for its 26th head football coach, Nebraska Wesleyan University has selected Jacob Donohoe as the next leader of the Prairie Wolves football program. Donohoe will begin his duties immediately.
Donohoe comes to Nebraska Wesleyan following a highly successful stint as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Coe College, where in 2025 he engineered one of the most prolific offensive seasons in program history. In his first season directing the Kohawks offense, Donohoe helped guide Coe to a 9-3 overall record and an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs.
"I am excited to welcome Jacob Donohoe as our new Head Football Coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University," said Director of Athletics Dwight Merilatt. "Jacob has had tremendous experience in working with and coaching successful football programs at all levels. I know our football student-athletes will thrive under Jacob's leadership and our team will have much success under his style of play in the American Rivers Conference."
Coe led the American Rivers Conference in nearly every major offensive category in 2025, producing numbers that separated the Kohawks from the rest of the league. Coe scored 65 total touchdowns, 21 more than the next-closest team in the conference, and totaled 456 points, nearly 120 ahead of second place. The Kohawks averaged 38.0 points per game while posting a conference best 480 yards of offense per contest.
Under Donohoe, Coe led the American Rivers Conference in both rushing and passing offense. The Kohawks rushed for 2,346 yards and threw for a conference-leading 3,415 yards, combining for 5,761 total offensive yards, a new school record. Coe also set program marks for passing yards in a season and passing touchdowns, throwing 34 touchdown passes while adding 26 scores on the ground.
Donohoe coached quarterback Brady Kelly, the 2025 American Rivers Conference Offensive Most Valuable Player, and helped develop seven A-R-C All-Conference offensive selections. His responsibilities at Coe included developing weekly game plans and offensive installs while organizing and operating all offensive meetings and practice agendas.
"I'm honored to be named the head football coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University," Donohoe said. "I am excited to start building relationships with not only the members of the university, but the alumni and the Lincoln community. I want to thank the administration, especially President Darrin Good and Director of Athletics Dwight Merilatt, for giving me the opportunity to lead the Prairie Wolves football program."
Donohoe boasts a diverse coaching background that spans multiple levels of college football. Prior to his most recent stop at Coe, he served as the offensive line and run game coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Tyler (Texas) Junior College. During his time at Tyler, Donohoe played a key role in the program's 2024 Southwest Junior College Football Conference Championship, contributing to offensive game planning with an emphasis on the run game while overseeing all recruiting operations for the program.
His responsibilities at Tyler included managing the recruiting board, identifying and securing top talent, and coordinating the overall recruiting strategy that helped position the program for championship success.
Donohoe also spent several seasons at Illinois State University, serving in a variety of roles including graduate assistant offensive coach, and later director of recruiting and offensive quality control. As a graduate assistant, he was part of a coaching staff that guided the Redbirds to the FCS Championship Quarterfinals in 2019. His duties included organizing quarterback and wide receiver meetings, assisting with offensive game planning, and supporting recruiting efforts.
As director of recruiting at Illinois State, Donohoe oversaw all aspects of the recruiting process, including scholarship allocation, recruiting board management, official visit coordination, and the development of scouting reports and offensive call sheets.
His full-time coaching career began at Coe College in 2021 as an assistant offensive coach working with wide receivers. In that role, Donohoe led position meetings, contributed to the development of the passing game, and played an integral role in recruiting high caliber student athletes while helping establish a strong offensive foundation for the program.
Before entering the coaching ranks, Donohoe enjoyed his playing career at Illinois State University from 2014 to 2016 as a quarterback and wide receiver. He was part of teams that reached the 2015 FCS National Championship Game and captured Missouri Valley Football Conference championships in both 2014 and 2015, providing him firsthand experience competing at one of the highest levels of college football.
Donohoe earned a Master of Science in psychology of sport and physical activity from Illinois State in 2019 and holds a Bachelor of Science in agriculture business, earned in 2017.
Nebraska Wesleyan football competes in the American Rivers Conference and will enter a new chapter under Donohoe's leadership, with an emphasis on player development, offensive innovation, and building lasting relationships throughout the program and community.
For further information, please contact Braden Smith, director of athletic communication, at 402.465.2151 or bsmith@nebrwesleyan.edu.
