On March 4, 2026, Dr. Jamaal Jackson was named Associate Athletic Director for Student Success at Kentucky State University. In this role, he leads initiatives designed to enhance the academic success, career readiness, leadership development, and holistic growth of Thorobred student-athletes.
Dr. Jackson brings more than two decades of experience in higher education and intercollegiate athletics, with a career spanning coaching, student development, fundraising, and institutional leadership. During his tenure at Kentucky State University, he has helped generate and secure more than $750,000 in external funding through grants, partnerships, and program development, supporting student success initiatives, workforce development programming, and enrichment opportunities for student-athletes.
Prior to transitioning into administration, Jackson served as Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Kentucky State University, where he became the winningest coach of the NCAA era and the third-winningest coach in program history. Under his leadership, seven Thorobreds earned All-SIAC honors, three were named BoxToRow.com Division II All-Americans, one was selected to the CCA All-South Region Team, and nineteen student-athletes signed professional basketball contracts.
Before returning to Kentucky State, Jackson served five seasons as Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Bluefield State College. Initially hired as Interim Head Coach prior to the 2011–12 season, he was named permanent head coach following the season. During his tenure, Bluefield State achieved its highest win total since the 1995–96 season, and his 2014–15 team ranked first in the nation in fewest turnovers. His players earned multiple all-conference honors and Division II All-American recognition.
Jackson previously served as an assistant coach at Stillman College, where the program achieved its first NCAA Division II Top 25 ranking and advanced to the NCAA South Regional Championship. He also served on the Kentucky State coaching staff from 2004–2008 and was a student assistant coach on the Thorobreds’ 2001 SIAC Tournament Championship team.
Early in his career, Jackson interned with the men’s basketball program at Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball during the 1998–99 season as the team advanced to the NCAA Final Four.
Dr. Jackson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education from Kentucky State University, a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of West Alabama, a Master of PublicAdministration from Kentucky State University, and a Doctorate in Adult and Higher Education Leadership from Morehead State University.
A respected leader in college athletics, Jackson is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and serves on the Division II Congress. He previously chaired the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Coaches Committee and served on the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball South Regional Advisory Committee. He is also the Division II representative on the Coaches vs. Cancer Council, a member of the Athletes in Action HBCU Leadership Committee, and a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
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Dr. Jackson remains deeply engaged in civic leadership. In 2020 he was appointed by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to the Kentucky Martin Luther King Jr. State Commission, and in 2022 he was appointed by Frankfort Mayor Layne Wilkerson to the Frankfort Board of Parks Commissioners. He also serves on the boards of Swim with Purpose and the Blue Grass Community Foundation Scholarship Committee.
Jackson’s leadership has earned national recognition. In 2021 he received the Kentucky State University National Alumni Association Image Award for professional distinction and loyalty to the university. In 2023 he received the National Association of Basketball Coaches Guardians of the Game Pillar Award for Education, recognizing his impact on student-athlete development and community engagement.
Dr. Jackson and his wife, Mary, reside in Frankfort, Kentucky, with their two children, Jairus and Laila.
