Former Ponca City WIldcat basketball player Jacob Birnbaum has been named the new boys head coach, replacing Ivan McFarlin.

Birnbaum is a 2016 graduate of Po-Hi. He went on to play four years at Newman University in Wichita, a NCAA D-2 program, graduating in 2020.

His hiring is pending final approval by the Ponca City Board of Education.

In an announcement made by the Ponca City School District, it was pointed out that he graduated from Newman with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He graduated with a GPA of 3.0 and 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.

His high school career included being named an Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association All-Star in 2016. At Newman, he was a member of the 2018-2019 Newman team that set a school record for wins. He was named the Newman Comeback Athlete of the year in 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.

He is a member of First Lutheran Church in Ponca City and volunteers his time and efforts around the church and school.

McFarlin, who was a member of the Oklahoma State basketball team that made the Final Four in 2004, has been the Ponca City coach since 2019. He is one of four Oklahoma State players to have had more than 1,000 points, 700 rebounds and 100 blocks during his college career.