by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 9, 2023

History Made As Kerrick Jackson Becomes The First Black Baseball Coach For The Southeastern Conference

History has been made! The University of Missouri named Kerrick Jackson the first Black head coach for the school’s baseball team. With this hire, Jackson also becomes the first Black head coach in baseball in the history of the Southeastern Conference.

The university, also known as Mizzou, made the announcement on the school’s Twitter account.

According to Yahoo! Sports, Jackson, once an assistant coach (2011-15) at the University of Missouri, was brought on after the school terminated former head coach Steve Bieser after the 2023 season. The baseball team hasn’t advanced to the playoffs in over 10 years. Coincidentally, the last time the team did make the postseason back in 2012, Jackson was an assistant to Bieser.

In a written statement, Jackson said, “It’s a great honor to come back to the University of Missouri and lead the baseball program. I have seen this program at its championship best and understand both what it takes to get there and the importance of baseball to the state, region, and within the Southeastern Conference.”

The hiring of Jackson brings a total of four Black men being named head coaches at Predominantly White Institutions at the top level of college baseball.

“We set out to find a leader of high character with success rejuvenating a program, and we certainly found that in Kerrick Jackson,” said Mizzou Athletic Director Desiree Reed-Francois in a written statement. “He’s a tireless recruiter, fierce competitor, and a coach with deep roots in the Midwest. Coach Jackson knows what success looks like in college baseball, specifically at Mizzou. He has a vision for success and a tremendous amount of experience at all levels of baseball. I look forward to him building on our traditions and returning us to the national stage. We proudly welcome Coach Jackson, Talia, Zion, and Lazarus home to Columbia.”

During the 2022-2023 season as the head coach of the University of Memphis, Jackson led the team to 29 victories. It was the first time the team had a winning season in over six years. He returns to Columbia after serving as a Mizzou assistant from 2011-15. Jackson also coached at Southern University from 2018-20, with the baseball team making the NCAA tournament in 2019.


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