Jacob Donohoe begins his first season as head football coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University in 2026 after being named the 26th head coach in program history following a nationwide search. Donohoe joins the Prairie Wolves with a reputation as an offensive innovator, program builder and relationship driven leader with experience at the Division I FCS, Division III and junior college levels.
Donohoe most recently served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Coe College, where he engineered one of the most productive offensive seasons in both program and American Rivers Conference history during the 2025 campaign. In his first season directing the Kohawks offense, Donohoe helped lead Coe to a 9-3 overall record and an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs.
Under Donohoe’s direction in 2025, Coe led the American Rivers Conference in scoring offense, total offense, rushing offense and passing offense. The Kohawks scored 65 touchdowns and totaled 465 points, finishing more than 20 touchdowns and more than 100 points ahead of the next closest conference opponent. Coe averaged 38.0 points and 480 yards of total offense per game while rushing for 2,346 yards and throwing for 3,415 yards.
Coe set multiple school records during the season, including passing yards in a season with 3,415, passing touchdowns with 34, and total offensive yards with 5,761. Donohoe coached Brady Kelly, the 2025 American Rivers Conference Offensive Most Valuable Player, and helped develop five A-R-C All Conference offensive selections. His responsibilities included weekly game planning, offensive installs, and organizing and operating all offensive meetings and practice agendas.
Prior to his return to Coe, Donohoe served as offensive line coach, run game coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Tyler Junior College. During his tenure, Tyler captured the 2024 Southwest Junior College Football Conference Championship. Donohoe played a key role in designing and implementing the run game while managing all recruiting operations for the program, including talent evaluation, recruiting board management and roster construction.
Donohoe also spent multiple seasons at Illinois State University in a variety of roles, beginning as a graduate assistant offensive coach and later serving as director of recruiting and offensive quality control. As a graduate assistant, he was part of a Redbirds coaching staff that advanced to the FCS Championship Quarterfinals in 2019. His responsibilities 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 player evaluation. He also contributed to offensive scouting reports and call sheet development, gaining experience in both roster management and game preparation at the Division I level.
Donohoe began his collegiate coaching career at Coe College in 2021 as an assistant offensive coach working with wide receivers. In that role, he 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.
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 won Missouri Valley Football Conference championships in 2014 and 2015, providing him with firsthand experience competing at a championship level.
Donohoe earned a Master of Science in psychology of sport and physical activity from Illinois State University in 2019 and holds a Bachelor of Science in agriculture business, earned in 2017.
