Courtesy of Edward Waters Athletics
Jacksonville, Florida- Edward Waters University Associate Vice President/Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Dr. Ivana Rich has announced Eric Jackson, Jr. as the new women’s basketball head coach. Jackson comes to Edward Waters, an HBCU in Jacksonville, Florida after leading the women’s basketball program at Rust College to the most successful era in their program’s history.
In seven seasons in charge at the NAIA, HBCU program based in Holly Springs, Mississippi, Jackson led the Lady Bearcats to a 148-43 mark, four straight Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) Regular Season Championships, three straight GCAC Tournament Titles, including the 2023-24 conference title, and four consecutive appearances at the NAIA Women’s Basketball Tournament. While at Rust, Jackson mentored 2 NAIA All-Americans, 5 All-Conference players, the 2019 GCAC Freshman of the Year, and the 2020 GCAC Player of the Year. Jackson has also received four GCAC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year accolades. He is also the all-time leader in head coach in the history of Rust College Women’s Basketball. Following the 2024 season, Jackson was named to the “Achieving Coaching Excellence Honor Roll”, as one of the only HBCU coaches to join other stellar head coaches such as ACC Champion Niele Ivey at Notre Dame, and 2024 NCAA Champion Dawn Staley at South Carolina.
Jackson is no stranger to Jacksonville, prior to returning to Rust College, Jackson spent a 2-year stint in the high school ranks coaching Varsity girls’ basketball at Westside High School. During his tenure at Westside, Jackson improved the team from a 2-20 record to a 12-10 in his first year with the same roster as the year before. Westside finished 2nd in their district and made the State Playoffs for the first time in 20 years. The following year, Jackson led Westside to a 20-5 record and brought home the school’s first district championship.
Before his stop at Westside, Eric Jackson, Jr. spent 3 years at Concordia College-Alabama in Selma, AL. In three years, Jackson finished with a record of 59-26, with a record of 13-11 in his first season in 2013. The following season, Concordia finished with a record of 20-11 and won the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division I National Championship. The 2014 National Championship Team was also inducted into the USCAA Hall of Fame for winning the championship as the 8th and final seed of the Tournament. During his final season at Concordia, Jackson finished 26-4 and broke school and USCAA national records with the most consecutive wins with 26. Additionally, Jackson was the first recipient of the USCAA Women’s Coach of the Year Award. The Lady Hornets also finished ranked number 1 in the National Coach’s Poll the entire year and finished the year honoring 3 first-team All-Americans and the USCAA National Player of the Year.
Coach Jackson was raised in Holly Springs, Mississippi by way of Paterson, New Jersey. He was a part of the back-to-back (2003-2005) Boys Basketball State Championship teams at Holly Springs High School. Jackson is a graduate of Rust College where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics. He is the oldest of 3 children to Eric Sr. and Shelley Jackson and is currently married to Rasheedah Jackson.