John Jackson, former athletic director at Dean College to be inducted into the National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) Hall of Fame later this month.
Former
Dean College Director of Athletics John Jackson will
join two other athletic administrators being inducted into the National
Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) Hall of Fame
later this month.
Jackson, who was named the Under
Armour Athletic Director of the Year on three separate occasions (2002, 2010,
2014), will be inducted alongside Ron Case, the former AD at Rowan
College-Gloucester County and Mary Ellen Leicht, the former CEO of the National
Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
"John's tireless work on behalf of the student-athletes at Dean
and other institutions continues to be noticed long after his retirement,"
said Dean College President, Dr. Paula M. Rooney.
"That is a testament to his exemplary work as an administrator, instructor
and coach, and we are thrilled for him to receive such an incredible
honor."
The honor for Jackson comes after
he spent 37 years in various roles at Dean College – including 27 as the
Director of Athletics. His tenure with the Bulldogs began in 1980 when he took
over the men's basketball program and guided them to 120 wins in ten seasons –
the most in the history of the program.
Jackson also served two separate
stints as the head softball coach. His first run (2002-04) produced a pair of
20+ win seasons – including a school-record 23 in 2002 - as well as two
Region XXI Championships (2002, 2003). Five seasons later, Jackson returned for
five more seasons (2010-14) culminating in an 18-win season in 2014 that saw
Dean finish second in the region.
As an administrator, Jackson was
instrumental in the construction of baseball and softball dugouts, the naming
of Dale Lippert Field, the synthetic turf installation at Grant Field, and in
the process of moving the College's athletic program from NJCAA affiliation
towards full National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) membership.
After stepping down as AD on
January 1, 2016, Jackson moved into the role of Director of NCAA Compliance,
working closely with head coaches and student-athletes on issues of eligibility
and retention before retiring in the spring of 2017.
Jackson's work was not contained
to just Dean College as he served on numerous regional and national committees.
He was the Chair of the Standard and Ethics Committee for the NJCAA, while also
serving on the NJCAA Men's Lacrosse Committee.
Additionally, he held the
position of women's and men's regional director of the NJCAA and was on the Executive
Committee for the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics
(NACDA).
The College itself has honored
Jackson's commitment, renaming the court inside of Pieri Gymnasium after him in
2017 and then establishing the John A. Jackson Sportsmanship Award, given
annually to the student-athlete who best demonstrates the qualities of
sportsmanship.
The ceremony will take place on
June 28 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Md.,
just outside of Washington, D.C.
For the
latest information on Dean College Athletics, visit www.deanbulldogs.com.