A former HBCU baseball coach is going to the SEC.
Kerrick Jackson, who was at Southern before taking a job at Memphis, was named the new baseball coach at Missouri in place of Steve Bieser, who was fired after the Tigers did not qualify for the NCAA tournament.
“I have seen this program at its championship best and understand both what it takes to get there and the importance of baseball to the state, region, and within the Southeastern Conference,” said Jackson in a news release announcing the hire. “My family and I are looking forward to returning to a University and community which we love. I am grateful to Desireé Reed-Francois and the search committee for trusting me with this tremendous opportunity.”
While at Memphis, Jackson led the Tigers to a 29-28 overall record, which was the program’s best since 2017.
Prior to his stint at Memphis, Jackson spent three seasons at Southern from 2018-20. In the 2019 season, Jackson led the Jaguars to the SWAC Western Division championship and claimed the conference crown as the SWAC Tournament champions.
Jackson was also named SWAC Coach of the Year and Louisiana Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year.
The Missouri baseball program will be familiar territory for Jackson. From 2011-15 he spent five seasons with the Tigers as an assistant and recruiting coordinator and was on the coaching staff for the last Missouri team to make the NCAA Tournament back in 2012.
The hire marks the first time a Black head coach has helmed an SEC program.
