Central College Athletics - Women's basketball

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Coaching staff

Mike Jacobsma
Head coach

Iowa native Mike Jacobsma is entering his third year as Central's women's basketball coach.

Jacobsma is rebuilding the Dutch into a championship contender. In his second year at the helm, Jacobsma guided Central to a 10-15 season, the most wins for the program since 2003-04.

A Ocheyedan native, Jacbosma served three years as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Evansville (Ind.). He helped the Purple Aces win the 2009 Missouri Valley Conference tournament title and NCAA tournament berth. From 2003-08 he coached at the Colorado School of Mines. Jacobsma was also a graduate assistant and interim assistant at Wayne State (Neb.), where he received his master's degree in 2003.

A veteran clinician, Jacobsma has worked camps at South Dakota, Creighton and Iowa State, among other schools.

“Mike is a great recruiter who is very energetic and knowledgeable about the game of basketball,” former Evansville coach Misty Murphy said. “He has experience in every facet of running a basketball program.”

The Dutch are no strangers to women's basketball success. Central captured the 1993 NCAA Division III championship and has earned eight NCAA tournament berths and won six Iowa Conference titles.

“Women’s basketball has a rich tradition at Central and we can get back to that level,” Jacobsma said. “I truly believe that.”

But Jacobsma wants Central players to get more out of their participation than victories.

“I want the players to be champions on and off the court,” he said. “I want them to be lifelong learners and to be successful in everything they do. Basketball puts you in some adverse situations and you have to learn how to overcome that. I want to help them develop those characteristics, skills and traits they need so that they take that with them in the jobs and cities where they work and become leaders.”

Jacobsma and his wife Bara have two children.

To contact coach Mike Jacobsma
Phone: (641) 628-7652
Email: jacobsmam@central.edu

Chelsea Petersen
Assistant coach

Chelsea Petersen is entering her second season on the Central College women’s basketball staff as assistant coach.

Petersen, a Wyoming, Iowa native and a graduate of Midland Community High School, was the assistant at Anderson University (Ind.) from 2009-12 while she earned a master’s degree in business administration. She is a 2008 Upper Iowa University graduate and carried a 4.0  grade point average throughout her undergraduate and graduate career. Petersen was a team captain and four-year letterwinner at Upper Iowa, and was named to the all-academic team for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

She spent a season as assistant girls’ basketball coach at University High School in Carmel, Ind. in 2008-09 while working as an account executive for Propeller Marketing LLC in Fishers, Ind.

Petersen also serves as online content specialist in the communications office.

Phone: (641) 628-5138
Email: petersenc@central.edu