Baseball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- sjackson4@liberty.edu
Scott Jackson begins his first season at Liberty as the program’s pitching coach, as well as a vital part of its recruiting efforts.
Jackson joins the Flames’ coaching staff after leading the UNC Wilmington pitching staff to new heights over the past five years and seeing several of his pupils move on to the professional ranks. Six Seahawk pitchers under Jackson’s tutelage during his time in Wilmington, N.C., were drafted by major league teams. None of them had been drafted out of high school. In addition, Jackson has seen three pitchers sign free agent contracts with major league organizations.
“Scott Jackson is a top of the line pitching coach, who is highly regarded by many coaches and scouts throughout the East Coast,” states Liberty Head Coach Jim Toman. “He is a man of high character and is a great addition to our staff.
“He is an excellent coach and tireless recruiter, and we are extremely fortunate to have someone of his stature join the Liberty staff.”
The UNC Wilmington pitching staff set new standards and raised the bar for future Seahawk staffs upon Jackson's arrival in the fall of 2002. His staffs eclipsed the 400-strikeout total in three of his five seasons, setting a school record with 489 in 2003. In the same season, the UNC Wilmington relief corps established the current school saves record of 17. Seahawk pitchers racked up 191 triumphs during his tenure, including a then league record 21 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) victories in 2005, and a school record 42 wins in 2006. Over the period, UNC Wilmington made three NCAA Regional appearances in 2003, 2004 and 2006.
Jackson's inaugural season with the program witnessed the first-ever NCAA Regional appearance for the Seahawks and a stellar effort by the squad’s mound staff. The Seahawks finished the season with a 3.75 ERA, ranking 27th nationally. The staff posted a 3.06 ERA in CAA play and limited hitters to a .242 batting average. Senior Brad Overton flourished and won seven games with a 2.99 ERA. Overton threw 96.1 innings after only throwing a combined 75 innings in three seasons prior to Jackson's arrival. Seniors Jake Mullis and Chris Coughlin won eight and six games, respectively and both went on to sign professional contracts with the Kansas City Royals. Mullis was drafted in the 15th round by the Royals, while Overton inked a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies after being drafted in the 29th round of the 2003 Major League Draft.
Following the loss of a combined 44 starts and 21 wins from the 2003 UNCW Baton Rouge Regional staff, Jackson helped guide the 2004 Seahawks to a 4.15 ERA, ranking them second overall in the pitching dominated CAA. However, Jackson’s staff led the CAA with an ERA of 3.55 in conference play. Over the final 28 games of the season, the staff posted a mark of 21 7 while recording an ERA of 2.28 and holding opponents to a .247 batting average.
During the stretch, Jeff Moore (3 0, 1.08), Ronald Hill (5 0, 1.77) and Zach Kimball (5 1, 1.81) each posted ERAs under 2.00. Hill set a school record with 12 wins, while Kimball set a new program standard with 17 starts. Senior Blake Cross finished his career with 32 saves, 25 of them under Jackson, and signed a professional contract with the Atlanta Braves the following summer.
In 2005, Jackson’s Seahawk pitching staff continued to rank among the NCAA elite, finishing with a 4.27 ERA, second-best in the CAA. The staff also issued a conference-low 164 walks in a conference-leading 522.1 innings. Senior Ronald Hill became the school's all time wins leader, posting consecutive 10 win seasons and fashioning a 20 10 mark in his last three campaigns, all under Jackson’s guidance. Hill completed his career with a perfect 17 0 mark in conference action. Moore signed with the Baltimore Orioles and Hill inked a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies after both were selected in the MLB Draft in June.
Jackson coached three hurlers to postseason honors on the way to a Seahawk appearance in the Chapel Hill Regional in 2006. Freshman Brad Holt was named to the CAA All Tournament team and senior Adam Paul was named All CAA. Meanwhile, Thomas Benton flourished in his senior season under Jackson, winning nine games and setting a school record with 120.1 innings pitched. Benton was named to the All East Region team by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). Both Benton, by the Cleveland Indians and Paul, by the San Francisco Giants, were selected in the MLB draft. Seahawk hurlers set a school record with 568.2 innings pitched.
2007 saw the Seahawks continue their success and lead CAA play for the third time in the last five years with a 3.95 ERA. Daniel Cropper was named to the Ping! Baseball Freshman All-American Team and the CAA All-Rookie squad under Jackson’s tutelage. Cropper posted a team-leading 3.43 ERA and, in conference action, ranked second amongst starters with a 2.72 ERA. The first-year hurler was selected CAA Rookie of the Week a league-high three times, and became the first UNCW freshman to throw a shutout since 1989.
Prior to his arrival at UNC Wilmington, Jackson managed the Wilmington Sharks of the Coastal Plain League during the summer of 2002. He led the Sharks to a 31 17 mark and his pitching staff led the circuit with an ERA of 2.00. The pitching staff included both Coughlin and Cross as well as five MLB draft picks, including current major leaguer Tom Mastny of the Cleveland Indians.
Jackson graduated from Campbell University in 1998 with a bachelor's degree in education and earned a master's degree in education from Campbell two years later. During his playing days at Campbell, Jackson played seven different positions and posted a career .268 batting average in 182 games.
Jackson spent the 2000 season as an assistant coach at Wofford College and the 2001 season as an assistant at Barton College. In 2002, he returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach.
The Charlotte, N.C., native is married to the former Sara Moore, who was a standout basketball player at Campbell. They have one child, Ryan (1).
