Kerrick Jackson introduced as Southern baseball coach, promises to emphasize 'Jaguar pride'

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- When Roman Banks set out to find a replacement for legendary Southern baseball coach Roger Cador two months ago, he put together a list of criteria for what the program needed. At the top of the athletic director's list was landing a coach who could revitalize the team and lead it out from under NCAA sanctions and back to national relevance.

On Tuesday, Banks said the man he thinks is the best fit is
Kerrick Jackson, a first-time head coach with no ties to Southern who was last an assistant coach at Missouri before serving as an agent for the past two years.

Jackson did not hold back at his debut news conference, saying his expectation for the program is winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship on a regular basis again.

“The one thing I think we can all look to, and I want our players to understand, is Jaguar pride,” Jackson said. “You’ll hear that over and over and over again. It’s very simple. I believe it’s personal responsibility and delivering excellence.”

Jackson's biggest hurdle is the lingering cloud of NCAA sanctions. Given unsatisfactory Academic Progress Rates, Southern remains under the NCAA's thumb, which means Jackson will not have a full practice schedule, nor full use of scholarships. The Jaguars will be ineligible for the postseason for at least his first season.

CONTINUE READING