Furman Paladins (Furman University), April 24, 2006, Monday

Furman Names Jeff Jackson Head Basketball Coach
New Paladin Mentor Spent Last Seven Seasons At Vanderbilt
April 24, 2006
http://furmanpaladins.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/042406aad.html

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Jeff Jackson has been named Furman's new men's head basketball coach, director of athletics Dr. Gary Clark announced today at an 11:00 a.m. press conference at the Younts Center on the University campus.
Jackson, a native of New York, N.Y., who served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Vanderbilt University for the past seven seasons, becomes Furman's 16th head coach and succeeds Larry Davis, who accepted an associate head coaching position at the University of Cincinnati on April 3.
"This is a signal moment in the history of Furman basketball," said Clark in making the announcement. "In Jeff Jackson we have secured an accomplished recruiter and experienced floor coach who will be an outstanding leader of our basketball program. He is also a gentleman of the highest integrity who will be an ideal ambassador for Paladin basketball."
During his tenure at Vanderbilt under head coach Kevin Stallings, the Commodores made one NCAA Tournament appearance and participated in four National Invitation Tournaments. In 2004 the Commodores posted a 23-10 record and advanced to the NCAA "Sweet 16" with wins over Western Michigan and N.C. State before falling to eventual national champion Connecticut. That same year he was named one of the top 25 college basketball recruiters in the country by rivals.com after Vanderbilt's 2005 freshman class garnered national recognition by the service.
Vanderbilt followed up its stellar 2004 campaign with a 20-14 season in 2005 and trip to the NIT, where the Commodores advanced to the quarterfinals with victories over Indiana and Wichita State. This past season Vanderbilt finished 16-13 season and registered its fourth NIT appearance this decade.
Jackson made his head coaching debut at New Hampshire in 1997, taking over a program that had only twice registered more than 10 wins in a season since 1984. In his first season the Wildcats won seven games and the next year improved to 10-17. His 1998-99 recruiting class was ranked 15th by Mike Sheridan of Eastern Basketball Magazine, marking the first time in school history a New Hampshire recruiting class had ever been ranked by any magazine.
Jackson's coaching worksheet includes four seasons at Stanford, where he served as recruiting coordinator under head coach Mike Montgomery from 1994-97. During his stay in Palo Alto, the Cardinal won 20 games twice and made the school's first back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.
The 1995-96 Stanford squad was ranked as high as No. 15 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. In the NCAA Tournament, the Cardinal, a No. 9 seed, defeated Bradley in the opening round before falling to eventual Final Four participant Massachusetts.
Prior to his move to Stanford, Jackson served in assistant coaching capacities at Colorado State (1989-92), and St. Bonaventure (1986-89). He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Southern California in 1985 after serving as a student assistant coach his final two years at Cornell.

Jackson graduated from Cornell in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial and labor relations. He and his wife, Carolyn, have three children: Xavier (16) Jenai (13), and Taylor (9).
THE JEFF JACKSON FILE
PERSONAL
Full Name: Jeffrey Gerard Jackson
Born: May 1, 1961 in New York, N.Y.
Wife: Carolyn Michelle Jackson
Married: December 12, 1983
Children: Xavier (16), Jenai (13), Taylor (9)
EDUCATION
High School: St. Francis Prep `79
College: Cornell 1984, B.S. Industrial & Labor Relations
PLAYING CAREER
Year School Responsibility Record Record Finish Conf.
1983-84 Cornell Assistant Coach/Asst. JV Coach 16-10 9-5 Ivy
1984-85 Cornell Assistant Coach/Head JV Coach 14-12 8-6 Ivy
1985-86 Southern California Graduate Asssistant 11-17 5-13 10th PAC 10
1986-87 St. Bonaventure Assistant Coach 5-23 3-15 10th Atlantic 10
1987-88 St. Bonaventure Assistant Coach 13-15 7-11 T6th Atlantic 10
1988-89 St. Bonaventure Assistant Coach 13-15 7-11 T6th Atlantic 10
1989-90 Colorado State Assistant Coach 21-9 11-5 1st WAC
1990-91 Colorado State Assistant Coach 15-14 6-10 7th WAC
1991-92 Colorado State Assistant Coach 14-17 8-8 7th WAC
1992-93 Stanford Assistant Coach/Recr. Coordinator 7-23 2-16 10th PAC 10
1993-94 Stanford Assistant Coach/Recr. Coordinator 17-11 10-8 T4th PAC 10
1994-95 Stanford Assistant Coach/Recr. Coordinator 20-9 10-8 T5th PAC 10
1995-96 Stanford Assistant Coach/Recr. Coordinator 21-8 13-5 3rd PAC 10
1996-97 New Hampshire Head Coach 7-20 5-13 T9th America East
1997-98 New Hampshire Head Coach 10-17 6-12 8th America East
1998-99 New Hampshire Head Coach 4-23 2-16 10th America East
1999-00 Vanderbilt Assistant Coach/Recr. Coordinator 19-11 8-8 4th SEC
2000-01 Vanderbilt Assistant Coach/Recr. Coordinator 15-15 4-12 6th SEC
2001-02 Vanderbilt Assistant Coach/Recr. Coordinator 17-15 6-10 T5th SEC
2002-03 Vanderbilt Assistant Coach/Recr. Coordinator 11-18 3-13 6th SEC
2003-04 Vanderbilt Assistant Coach/Recr. Coordinator 23-10 8-8 T3rd SEC
2004-05 Vanderbilt Assistant Coach/Recr. Coordinator 20-14 8-8 3rd SEC
2005-06 Vanderbilt Assistant Coach/Recr. Coordinator 16-13 7-9 4th SEC
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT JEFF JACKSON
"This is a tremendous personal loss for me because Jeff Jackson is one of the finest coaches I've been around in college basketball. I will miss him dearly. That said, this is a fantastic choice for Furman because of Jeff's background and all around outstanding ability as a leader, recruiter, and tactician. He is also extremely organized and possesses a tremendous capacity for work that I'm convinced will assist him in raising the competitive level of Furman's program. I want to congratulate Furman and Gary Clark for making this choice, and I'm very happy for Jeff and Carolyn."
Kevin StallingsHead Basketball Coach, Vanderbilt
"I've had the pleasure of knowing Jeff over the last five years and from the start thought he was an outstanding person. He is an excellent recruiter who represented Vanderbilt with total class, and I have no doubt he will do the same for Furman. He and I had an opportunity to talk many times, and I know he wouldn't have left Vanderbilt except for a great situation, and Furman affords him that opportunity. He's a perfect fit for Paladin basketball and the Furman community, and he is well prepared to handle the university's academic challenges and competition he will face in the Southern Conference."
Bobby JohnsonHead Football Coach, Vanderbilt (2002-Present)Head Football Coach, Furman (1994-2001)

"Jeff Jackson is uniquely qualified to lead our men's basketball program and represents the very best qualities we were searching for in a head basketball coach. His broad coaching experience and proven recruiting ability at schools that share the same academic and athletic values we embrace made him very attractive. He also possesses a strong commitment to student-athletes and a level of professionalism that will represent Paladin basketball and the university in a distinguished manner."
Dr. David E. ShiPresident, Furman