PITTSBURGH -- Duquesne University head football coach Jerry Schmitt has announced the promotion of two staff members, Scott Farison and Mickey Jacobs, to serve as Defensive Coordinators for the 2024 season.

Farison, who has coached the DU linebackers since 2018, and Jacobs, who rejoined the staff in 2023 as the safeties coach and special teams coordinator, will lead the defense after helping guide the Dukes to a Northeast Conference (NEC) championship last season.

"Coach Farison and Jacobs played key coaching roles last season for a defense that helped us win the NEC championship and earn an NCAA playoff bid," stated Schmitt. "I am confident their knowledge, experience and leadership skills will lead to continued growth and improvement on that side of the ball."

Farison will continue his work with the linebackers and Jacobs will remain as a defensive backs coach, while coordinating the defense this fall.

Farison has been on the Dukes sideline for the past six seasons after 16 seasons at renewed NEC foe Robert Morris, where he served as defensive coordinator for 11 seasons and was assistant head coach from 2014-17. In his second season on the Bluff, Farison added the title of co-defensive coordinator. Under Farison's leadership, Duquesne has had eight all-conference linebackers since 2018 including a pair of first team selections in 2021 (Jahan Worth) and 2022 (Todd Hill). The DU defense has consistently ranked among the top in the NEC and was 10th in the FCS in total defense in 2019.

In his first year with the Dukes, the team captured the NEC title, earned a berth in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs and won their first FCS Playoff game in program history, 31-10, at No. 16 Towson.

While at Robert Morris, Farison won the 2010 NEC championship and the league's inaugural FCS postseason berth. He coached 32 All-NEC performers as the Colonials defensive coordinators with four NEC Defensive Player of Year honors and a pair of NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year accolades. A Marion, Ohio native, Farison graduated from Mercyhurst College, where he played three seasons, in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts in marketing and received his Master of Science in sport management from Robert Morris in 2003.

Jacobs is a 2017 graduate of Duquesne and played for the Dukes from 2013-16. He was part of three NEC championship teams as a player including the 2015 squad that competed in the FCS playoffs. Jacobs remained on the Bluff for the 2018 season as a defensive quality control coach, then returned last year after four seasons at the University of Pittsburgh as both a defensive and recruiting graduate assistant as well as a stint at the University of Buffalo as a senior defensive analyst.

In his first season back on the Bluff, he added a fourth NEC Championship ring and a second FCS playoff appearance to his resume. The special teams unit, led by Jacobs, ranked 16th nationally and second in the Northeast Conference in kick return defense, allowing opponents just 16.81 yards per return. Two DU defensive backs garnered all-conference honors last season and Jacobs' safeties contributed to a passing defense that had nine interceptions and ranked 30th in the FCS in passing yards allowed per game.

Jacobs earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Duquesne and served as an intern with the DU Strength and Conditioning staff in the spring of 2017 following graduation. 

2024 SCHEDULE 
The 2024 Duquesne Football season begins on August 29 at Toledo, while the Dukes' NEC title defense will start on October 5th hosting LIU for Homecoming & Family Weekend. The full 2024 schedule can be viewed here. Season tickets for the 2024 campaign are available now and can be purchased at GoDuquesne.com/fbtickets. 

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