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Donte Jackson has established himself as one of the elite coaches in the league. The 2x Southwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year also received an extension.
Jackson started his coaching journey as an assistant coach for his alma mater (Central State Marauders) in 2003. He held that position for seven years and was promoted to head coach in 2010. He had a 60-42 record for the Central State and a 9-7 record in the Conference.
The 45-year-old left his alma mater in 2014 and joined the Stillman Tigers, with whom he had a 66-21 overall record and a 30-7 conference record. He also won the SIAC men's basketball tournament championship in 2016 and reached the regional semifinals of the 2016 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament.
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Jackson joined Grambling in June 2017 and, in his first year as a Tiger, he guided them to their first SWAC regular season title since 1989. Grambling was ineligible for post-season due to their low APR scores but Donte Jackson was named 2018 SWAC Coach of the Year. He also won the 2018 Ben Jobe Award.
He led the Tigers to two more SWAC regular season championships in 2023 and 2024. Furthermore, he won the SWAC tournament this year.
Donte Jackson's contract extension
Grambling State's head coach Donte Jackson received a contract extension that will keep him with the team through to the 2029 season. This comes shortly after Jackson represented HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and defeated Montana State in the First Four in March.
GSU athletic director Trayvean Scott released a statement calling Jackson one of the best basketball coaches:
“Coach Jackson is, without a doubt, one of the best basketball coaches in the country, and we are blessed that he’s the leader of our men’s basketball program,” GSU athletic director Trayvean Scott said in a statement released by the university.
“He has taken our program to heights that haven’t been seen for decades, and we are confident that he will continue to be successful and mold our student-athletes into men who represent our institution the right way.”
How far do you think Donte Jackson will be able to take Grambling State this season?
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