Jim Jackson - Football Coach - Rice University Athletics

Jim Jackson

Title:
Tight Ends
Email:
fbrecruiting@rice.edu
Phone:
348-6900

A Texas native who played football and baseball at Mesquite Poteet, Jim Jackson returns for his second season as the Owls’ tight ends coach.

Jackson’s group is led by three-year standout Jack Bradley who enjoyed his best season in 2021, catching 16 passes for 163 yards after totaling just four receptions in his first two years. Grad transfer Gavin Reinwald brings 41 games of experience to the tight end room from Cal where he caught 31 passes while averaging over 10 yards per catch, giving Jackson a talented tandem for his younger reserves to emulate.

Jackson came to Rice in the spring of 2021after two seasons coaching the offensive line at Massachusetts.

He assumed leadership of an offensive line in 2019 which replaced starters at four of five spots from the year prior. Following the overarching changes to the unit, and injuries suffered during the year, the Minutemen still cut down on their sacks allowed by 69.2 percent.

Jackson arrived in Amherst following a successful five-year stint at the University of San Diego, where he held roles as the offensive line coach and the co-offensive coordinator.

During Jackson’s five seasons as San Diego, the Toreros went a combined 47-13 (.783), including an unprecedented 38-2 (.950) in the Pioneer Football League (PFL). The squad won at least nine games in all five of Jackson’s campaigns with the program and went undefeated at 8-0 in conference play during the 2016-18 seasons.

Throughout his tenure, the San Diego offense remained instrumental in the program’s sustained success. With the offensive line providing the time for dynamic playmaking, USD reached four NCAA Division I FCS playoffs and advanced to the second round in 2016 and 2017, while it also appeared in the 16-team field in 2014 and 2018.

Jackson oversaw the development of the offensive line for all five years of his time with the Toreros, while he served as the co-offensive coordinator during 2018 when the team averaged 37.8 points and 470.6 offensive yards per game.

In particular, Jackson’s guidance of offensive lineman Daniel Cooney’s development saw Cooney collect three consecutive All-America accolades from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), one each his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

The Toreros offensive line developed into a well-round corps following Jackson’s hire, highlighted by the group’s ability to protect the quarterback. After USD ranked No. 7 in sacks against among all PFL teams with 23 in 11 games during Jackson’s first year, the unit only allowed 36 total over 48 combined games during the 2015-18 season, and never finished lower than tied for second in the league. USD ranked among the nation’s leaders for the fewest sacks allowed during each of the last three seasons, including No. 2 nationally in 2017.

Throughout the 2018 season, San Diego stood among the top-four within the Pioneer League in more than a dozen per-game offensive categories, including points, total offense, passing offense, passing efficiency, first downs, red-zone offense, and time of possession.

Six Toreros collected all-PFL recognition, including first-team choices Michael Bandy (WR), Cooney, Anthony Lawrence (QB), and Jake Michaels (OL), and second-team selections Emilio Martinez (RB) and Aidan Valencia (OL). With Jackson’s guidance, Bandy earned five national all-America awards while Cooney collected three from the American Football Coaches Association, the Associated Press, and STATS.

The 2017 season was another rousing success for San Diego, with the offensive line paving the way as USD averaged 36.4 points and 421.8 yards per game. The season culminated in an upset of No. 25 Northern Arizona in the FCS Playoff First Round as the team earned the school and PFL’s second-ever postseason victory.

Jackson’s offensive line fostered the team’s balanced attack in 2017 as it allowed the passing game to post 254.2 yards per appearance while the run game added 167.6 over the 13-game slate. The year culminated in Cooney’s second career all-America award from the AFCA.

2016 marked San Diego and the PFL’s first-ever postseason victory when the Toreros went to No. 21 Cal Poly and took a 35-21 victory from the Mustangs on their home field. The offense put forth 473 total yards and averaged 5.8 gained per play against Cal Poly behind Jackson’s offensive line. Cooney again led the blocking efforts for Jackson and won all-America as a result.

The year marked a season of renewal on the offensive line as the unit lost four starters from the 2015 campaign to graduation, including All-PFL First Team selections Pono Keni (left tackle) and right guard Jeff Starr (right guard). Despite the changeover, the unit limited foes to 4.0 sacks in 12 games, the third-fewest nationally and best among PFL teams. Additionally, as a whole, USD ranked in the top 10 nationally for time of possession (No. 1), third-down conversion rate (No. 2), completion percentage (No. 5), winning percentage (No. 6), red zone offense (No. 7) and scoring offense (No. 10).

Before USD, Jackson coached eleven years for six collegiate programs, including Southern Illinois (2010-13), Minnesota (2007-09), Louisiana-Lafayette (2006), Toledo (2005), Lehigh (2004), and Methodist College (2003).

Jackson served as the tight ends coach at Southern Illinois for four seasons and spent the final two of his tenure as the team’s recruiting coordinator.

During his time at SIU, Jackson played a key role in the development of tight end MyCole Pruitt, who earned first-team All-America honors in 2013. Pruitt finished the regular season with 601 receiving yards and became SIU's all-time leader in career receptions (140) and receiving yards (1,740) by a tight end.

Before that, Pruitt was a third-team All-America selection by The Sports Network and named to the All-MVFC First Team in 2012. Additionally, with Jackson’s guidance, Pruitt earned all-conference and picked up a spot on the MVFC All-Newcomer Team in 2011.

In 2010, his first year at Southern Illinois, Jackson's tight ends were instrumental in helping the Saluki offense average 30.1 points per game and 378.2 yards of total offense. The tight ends, playing a major role in run blocking, helped pave the way for the Saluki rushing attack that averaged 189.5 yards per game and scored 22 touchdowns on the year.

Kyle Harruff tied for the team lead with three touchdown receptions under Jackson's guidance in 2010 and Harruff had 17 catches for 294 yards - an average of 17.3 yards per reception. Fellow tight ends C.J. Robertson, Philip Schumacher, and combo-tight end/fullback John Goode also hauled in touchdown catches in 2010. Goode was an All-MVFC selection in 2010 under Jackson.

Jackson arrived at Southern Illinois from the University of Minnesota, where he was an assistant offensive line coach from 2007-09.

In 2007, Jackson helped coach the Gopher front that ranked 10th in the nation in the fewest sacks allowed (13 total). He worked directly with the Gopher centers, along with his various other coaching duties.

Before joining the Minnesota staff, Jackson spent one season as a defensive graduate assistant working with the defensive line at Louisiana-Lafayette.

Jackson spent the 2005 season as a graduate assistant working as a video coordinator and with the offensive line at Toledo, one year after he served as assistant defensive backs coach and assistant video coordinator at Lehigh in 2004. He started his coaching career in 2003 as the outside linebackers coach at Methodist (N.C.) College.

Jackson played football and baseball at Cornell. He was a three-year starter and a team captain on the baseball team and played two seasons of football.

Jackson received his bachelor's degree in communications from Cornell in 2003. He earned his master's degree from Minnesota in sports management in 2009.

Jackson and his wife Michelle have one daughter, Mae, and one son, Grant.