Coach Jeff Jakmides, known as Coach Jak, has been as the Head Throws Coach for the Walsh University Track and Field program since 2024. He previously was at Walsh from 2014-2022. In his time away from North Canton, Jakmides led the University of Akron Throws program. Coach also has prior experience as an assistant at Ohio Dominican University (2013-14), where he also worked as the Strength and Conditioning Coach, and as a volunteer assistant at Capital University (2012-13).
In his first season with the Maroon and Gold in 2014, he coached Walsh’s first national qualifier in a throwing event. Under his leadership, athletes have broken 11 of 12 school records, produced 65 NCAA DII national qualifiers (with representation in every throwing discipline), earned 11 individual conference championship titles, and achieved six First Team All-American awards, two Second Team All-American awards, and Walsh's first NCAA-era national champion, Marcus Myers, who won the 2018 NCAA DII national title in the men's hammer throw.
During the 2022-2023 season, Coach Jak led the University of Akron Throws program. His athletes secured four individual qualifications to the East Regional Championships, one Mid-American Conference individual championship, one NCAA National Championship qualifier with a Second Team All-American finish, and a Men’s Team Mid-American Conference Championship, highlighted by a sweep of the men's hammer throw event.
Jakmides earned a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Ashland University, where he focused on strength and conditioning and was named Academic All-GLIAC. As a student-athlete, he earned All-GLIAC honors in the decathlon as a freshman and twice in the javelin under the mentorship of four-time Olympian Jud Logan. He also received mentorship in strength and conditioning programming from Thomas Myslinski, the current Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Originally from Alliance, Ohio, Jakmides attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School, where he lettered in track and field and was a two-time state qualifier in the discus.
Coach Jak resides in Canton, Ohio, with his wife, Theresa (Walsh class of 2012), and their sons, Atlas Joseph and Roman Judson.
