Shawn Jackson

Jackson is entering his second season with the Gamecock Track & Field staff, coming off his first season of handling duties as the horizontal jumps coach.

During his first season with Carolina, Jackson coached a pair of All-Americans in the form of Theo Mudzengerere and Channing Ferguson. During the indoor season, Mudzengerere earned a spot on the Second Team All-American squad, while also setting a new Gamecock indoor record for the longest triple jump at 16.00 meters even. The outdoor season, Jackson coached Ferguson to Second Team All-American honors in the long jump, placing 13^th at the NCAA Outdoor Championship in just his first year of collegiate long jump.

Jackson arrives to Columbia after an 11-year stint with TCU Track & Field. In his final season with TCU, Jackson coached Theo Mudzengerere to the NCAA Outdoor Championship, marking the eighth consecutive triple jumper to reach the NCAA Championship under Jackson’s tutelage (2020 NCAA Championship cancelled due to COVID). Jackson oversaw four jumpers that earned podium finishes at the Big 12 Championships this past spring. In addition, TCU’s two representatives at the NCAA Indoor Championship were jumpers in Grace Anigbata and Jaren Holmes.

During his time in Fort Worth, Texas, Jackson coached numerous successful athletes, including Chengetayi (Du) Mapaya who is a two-time NCAA triple jump champion, five-time Big 12 champion, nine-time All-American and qualified for the 2022 World Championships. Jackson also coached Lorraine Ugen who is a two-time NCAA champion in the long jump and a three-time World Championship qualifier (2012, 2014, 2016).

Prior to his stint at TCU, Jackson served as an Associate Head Coach for 17 years at his alma mater, Louisiana Tech. Jackson is a two-time Mid-East Region Coach of the Year (2006, 2008), helping the Bulldogs earn 16 team conference championships. In 2008, Jackson was also dubbed Assistant Coach of the Year by USTFCCCA.

During his time at Louisiana Tech, where he coached sprints, jumps and hurdles, 30 of the team’s 43 school records were claimed by student-athletes that he mentored. He also oversaw 28 All-American honors and 76 individual conference titles, including 25 relay championships. Jackson coached Chelsea Hayes (2012 Olympian) while in Ruston, La. where she was named 2012 WAC Female Athlete of the Year and earned a whopping 18 All-WAC honors.

Jackson, a Buffalo, N.Y. native, competed for three seasons with Louisiana Tech from 1990-92. After finishing his career on the track, he graduated with a degree in general studies in 1994. Soon after that, he went on to earn his Master’s in Sport Science from Louisiana Tech.