New Boys Basketball Coach Named

Pending approval by the Ponca City Board of Education, Jacob Birnbaum has been named the new boys head basketball coach for Ponca City High School.

Jacob is a 2016 graduate of Ponca City High School and a 2020 graduate of Newman University with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He graduated with a GPA of 3.0, was named to the Heartland Conference Honor Roll for three years, served as a representative member on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for three years and spent 50 plus student observation hours in athletic training facilities.

He is currently working towards obtaining an MBA and competed in NCAA D2 basketball for four years.

His athletic career included being named an OBCA All-Star in 2016, a member of the 2018-2019 Newman team that set a new school record for wins, Newman University Comeback Athlete of the Year in 2020 and played under head coaches Mark Potter (2016-2017) and RJ Allen (2017-2020).

“Throughout my experience as a student, I obtained many skills to implement in my career. Integrity, communication and always putting forth your best effort are just some of the values I bring to the table,” he said.

During his free time, he enjoys reading, staying active and listening to music. He is a member of First Lutheran Church and volunteers his time and efforts around the church and school.