Charlie Jackson is the Head Football Coach at Kentucky State University. He was previously an assistant coach for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL).
Jackson garnered national recognition for his total rebuild and overhaul of the Kentucky State University football program. Jackson arrived at Kentucky State with the football program in the midst of an abysmal downward spiral that culminated in a 0-10 season in 2018. In Jackson’s first year leading the program, the team win total improved by seven games, the highest total win improvement in the NCAA. His team posted victories over multiple Division I opponents for the first time in school history, and his team’s 70 percent winning percentage was the school’s best in 41 years. Kentucky State ranked first in the country in punt coverage, eighth in the country in rushing offense, and #14 in the country in total defense under Jackson’s leadership.
Prior to the Falcons, Jackson served on the NCAA National Headquarters staff as a member of the College Football Rules Enforcement Group. He was responsible for the football rules development efforts in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Mountain West Conference (MWC). His background includes multiple defensive coaching roles with the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos along with coaching fellowships with the Falcons and St. Louis Rams. He also served as a college scout for the Seattle Seahawks organization. Jackson has collegiate experience at Colorado, UCLA, Utah State, Buffalo, and the United States Air Force Academy.
Jackson was born in Vienna, Georgia. He is a 1995 academic honors graduate of Macon County High School in Montezuma, Georgia. As a football player at Macon County, he was selected to the Georgia Academic All-State football team and many on the field accolades, including Georgia Region 1A Football Player of the Year and Georgia Class-A Football Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was named First Team All-Area by the Americus Times-Recorder, First Team All-Middle Georgia by the Macon Telegraph & News, and First Team All-State by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Georgia Sports Writers Association.
Jackson accepted an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy, and he participated in football and indoor track and field as a student-athlete. One of his many football highlights was his sophomore season performance against the United States Naval Academy in 1997. In front of the largest crowd in Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium history, undefeated and #16 ranked Air Force traveled to Annapolis and defeated Navy 10-7. Jackson was named player of the game and subsequently conference player of the week. Following his senior football season, Jackson was selected by his teammates as a permanent team captain and recipient of Air Force football’s highest honor, the Brian Bullard Award, as the player who displays unselfishness, pride in his role, total team commitment, and 110 percent effort. Jackson helped Air Force become a consistent member of the Top 25 national rankings, including a Top 10 final ranking and conference championship in 1998. At one point during his tenure, Air Force produced major college football’s longest winning streak (11 games).
Jackson earned a bachelor's degree in management from the United States Air Force Academy. He earned a master's degree in management and sports studies from California State University, Long Beach.
Jackson was a Commissioned Officer in the United States Air Force before entering the coaching arena. He ascended to the rank of Captain while being stationed more than four years at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida and Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. His duties included serving as the U.S. Government point man in negotiations with three foreign government agencies in support of international treaty agreements.
Jackson is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). His professional associations include the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), NFL Coaches Association (NFLCA), National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), National Association of Athletics Compliance (NAAC), Minority Coaches Association of Georgia (MCAofGA), and the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA)/Women Leaders in College Sports.
