July 30, 2008

BOCA RATON, FL - Florida Atlantic University has named Jason Jackson as its baseball team's pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.

"With his experience in college baseball and within the Sun Belt Conference, we expect Jason to pay immediate dividends to our program," said John McCormack, FAU head baseball coach. "Not only has he proven to be an excellent coach, but he is a good person who will represent the university with class and dignity."

Jackson has spent the past two seasons in a similar role at the University of South Alabama. Two of Jackson's pitchers at USA were selected in the 2008 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft in June. Under his direction, pitchers from USA struckout 188 more batters than they walked last season.

Jackson's collegiate coaching career spans seven seasons, six at the Division I level. A brief stint as pitching coach at North Florida Community College was followed by a move to Macon, Georgia in 2003 to take an assistant coaching position at Mercer University. Jackson was essential in establishing a number of new university pitching records during his three-year tenure at Mercer and was elevated to the program's recruiting coordinator in 2006.

"I am extremely excited to work with Coach McCormack, he is one of the most well respected people in college baseball," said Jackson. "The program here at Florida Atlantic has so much tradition, to be part of what has been established here and then to take on the challenge of raising the bar even higher is a special opportunity."

A native of Tallahassee, Jackson holds a master's degree in sports administration from Florida State University, where he also completed his undergraduate course work in physical education.

FAU has averaged 40 wins per season since 1999 and has participated six times in NCAA Regional play during that span. McCormack was appointed head coach earlier this month after 11 years as the Owls' associate head coach and a total of 18 years as an assistant.