Capital hires a new football coach. His plan to revive the former powerhouse
Capital stood as one of Idaho’s premier high school football programs before stumbling down the standings the past four years. So the Eagles are bringing back a former assistant coach from their glory days for the next step in their rebuild.
Capital announced Matt Jacobsen as its next football coach Friday. Jacobsen spent 18 seasons on the Capital staff alongside former coach Todd Simis, including six years as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator.
“He bleeds black and gold being a graduate and coaching here for so long,” Capital Athletic Director Jason Willer said. “Plus, he brings a passion for the game and a passion for the kids and making them great young men. And he’s able to inspire them that way.”
Jacobsen replaces Kevin Hastin, who left Capital after three seasons to become the head coach at Meridian. The Eagles went 10-19 under Hastin, including a 5-5 record last fall with the 6A classification’s second-best offense (37.7 ppg).
Those numbers showed improvement but stand as a far cry from Capital’s historic standards. The Eagles have recorded just 10 losing seasons in the program’s 61-year history. Three came in the past four years.
“There was a dip, but that was from a variety of things — attendance and other things. I don’t think it was anyone’s fault,” Jacobsen said. “There was a dip, and they’ve started to build back out.
“They have the pieces in place, and we just want to continue to build on that.”
The 55-year-old English teacher said those pieces included upgraded facilities, a new weight room and a host of veteran assistant coaches. Capital will also bring back a pair of all-state receivers next season.
Jacobsen originally joined the Capital coaching staff in 2004, following Simis from Boise High to help lead the Eagles to three state runner-up finishes. He left after the 2021 season when Simis resigned. But after watching his youngest daughter graduate from Harvard and spending the past two seasons as Boise State’s head rugby coach, he felt it was the right time to return to Capital football.
“I want to create a program that kids desperately want to be a part of,” Jacobsen said. “And when they’re done, they say that was the best sports experience I’ve ever had.
“So we are really going to focus on working on the whole player, both in the classroom and on the field. But also helping kids pursue the dreams and goals that they have.”
Jacobsen’s hire marks the fourth coaching change in the 6A Southern Idaho Conference this offseason. Other changes were Hastin’s move to Meridian, Rocky Mountain hiring former Ridgevue coach Gary Thorson, and Kuna promoting Josh Bravo.
This story was originally published January 21, 2026 at 3:00 PM.