Successful homecoming for W.Virginia Wesleyan Jonas Jackson

NCAA Division II West Virginia Wesleyan College coach Jonas Jackson, a native of Boston, is the first African-American head coach in the history of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC). WVWC Director of Athletics Ken Tyler originally named Jackson the interim head coach this summer, and that part of the title was removed before the Bobcats (5-0) 37-26 win at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Buckhannon, West Virginia -- Jonas Jackson is a long way from home, in more ways than one.

A long way from Harwich Street in Dorchester, and his late grandmother, Sallie Jones. A long way from Hiawatha Road in Mattapan, and Elsie Jackson, his other grandmother, now 85. Two strong, caring women who raised the quiet boy on the tough streets of the city.

A long way from Lewenberg Middle School, the BNBL courts, and Simco’s on the Bridge. Those memories resonate in his soul.

Nor has he forgotten the countless individuals at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional who stepped forward, starting with football coach Tom Lopez, who saw promise in the Metco student, and gave Jackson a push and guidance. Line coach Gary Justason and his wife, Nancy, welcomed the wayward teen into their home when he had no place to live.

And that is why his trip back to the area, albeit on a bus that departed Buckhannon, W.Va., Thursday at midnight, means so much to the 32-year-old Jackson. The 1997 L-S graduate will return as the head coach of West Virginia Wesleyan College for today’s nonconference matchup at Bentley University (Waltham, Massachusetts), a pair of Division 2 football programs that lit up the scoreboard with 50-point efforts in their openers last week.

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Former Delaware State Player and Coach Jackie DeVane named Head Women's Basketball Coach at West Virginia Wesleyan

Coach Jackie DeVane

Buckhannon, WV - West Virginia Wesleyan College Director of Athletics Ken Tyler announced today the hiring of Jackie DeVane as Head Women’s Basketball Coach. DeVane was selected from a pool of almost 100 applicants.

Tyler stated, "We are very pleased to welcome Coach DeVane to West Virginia Wesleyan. She brings a wealth of successful experience, as well as strong enthusiasm for teaching and coaching. Jackie will be a real asset to Wesleyan."

DeVane has spent 15 years as a collegiate head coach, including 10 on the Division I level. She began her career at Division II Cheyney University, where she led the Lady Wolves to their first 20-win season in 10 years. From Cheyney, DeVane was hired as the head coach at Division I Delaware State University, where she earned MEAC Coach of the Year honors. In addition, she coached the men’s basketball team for the final three games of their season and the conference tournament.

In 2000, DeVane accepted the head coaching position at Division I Monmouth University where she compiled an overall record of 75-57, made an appearance in the NEC finals, won the most games (18) since Monmouth joined the NEC, and set a school record with four consecutive winning seasons.

After so many years on the road, DeVane left coaching in 2005 to raise her daughter Kiki in a more stable environment. Kiki will be a freshman student-athlete at Bethune-Cookman University this fall. From her new base in Houston, Texas, DeVane stayed active in the game by coaching AAU and helping young athletes move on to college. During her 15-year head-coaching career, DeVane served on the Board of Directors of both the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association and the Black Coaches’ Association.

DeVane earned a bachelor’s degree from Delaware State, a master’s from Penn State, and has completed doctoral work at Temple University. DeVane was a four-year letter winner and captain at Delaware State and led the team in rebounding three years. She pulled down a school-record 28 rebounds in one game her freshman year, and was inducted into the DSU Hall of Fame in 1997.

DeVane summed up her hiring by stating, "I am excited to be a part of the West Virginia Wesleyan family. I think Ken Tyler is doing a wonderful job with the athletic department and I love that President Balch is so supportive of athletics! It’s an awesome feeling to be back in the saddle, and I’m looking forward to working with the student-athletes in the program."

What they’re saying about Jackie DeVane:

"She is a hard worker who pays close attention to dotting her I’s and crossing her T’s. Jackie is very diligent, is a great communicator, and is very smart when it comes to achieving educational goals."
-Hall of Fame Coach John Chaney, formerly of Temple University

"Wesleyan has hired a quality individual who also happens to be one of my favorite people. She is intelligent and relates extremely well to young people. She knows the game and is a great basketball coach who has always had a great love for the game. I think you guys got someone who the community will love. She is a very, very good recruiter and you’ll be very proud of the job she does with the young women that make up your basketball program. Congratulations on hiring such a beautiful person."
-Former Syracuse University Head Coach Marianne Freeman (DeVane’s coach at Delaware State)

By West Virginia Wesleyan College Sports Information