John Jacob named new East Orange Campus HS football head coach

EAST ORANGE, NJ — The East Orange Campus High School football team enjoyed a season for the ages when it won the state sectional and regional championships to cap an undefeated campaign.

For Rae Oliver, it turned out to be a great sendoff. Oliver reportedly stepped down as the EOCHS head coach to spend more time with his family. Oliver’s son, Raeden Oliver, was the starting quarterback on the team and will attend Rutgers University in the fall.

John Jacob has been tabbed as the new head coach for the Jaguars. It will be a smooth transition for the program. Jacob served as the offensive coordinator for the Jaguars for the past two seasons.

Last fall, the Jaguars defeated Passaic County Tech, 35-7, in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 1, Group 5, tournament championship at Robeson Stadium, and defeated Clifton, 30-24, in a thrilling, triple-overtime decision in the North, Group 5, regional championship game at Rutgers University’s SHI Stadium in Piscataway to cap a 13-0 season. 

It marked the program’s second state sectional title and first regional title. The Jaguars’ first state sectional title was in 2007. The first year of the NJSIAA regional title games was in 2018.

Oliver, an East Orange native, spent five seasons at the helm, with a stellar 40-11 record. 

Under Oliver, the Jaguars went 6-4 in 2017, 7-3 in 2018, 9-2 in 2019, 5-2 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and 13-0 this season.

Jacob has an extensive coaching background. He was the head coach at West Orange High School for 11 seasons, from 2002 to 2012. Following his tenure at WOHS, he was an offensive coordinator at perennial powerhouse Wayne Hills for six seasons before joining the EOCHS staff. Jacob also has served as the New Jersey Football Coaches Association commissioner.

Photos by Joe Ragozzino and Courtesy of Kerry E. Porter.

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