The Mavericks have their new man at the helm.
Just a week before the turn of the new decade, the Colorado Mesa University football team has named Texas State defensive line coach, Tremaine Jackson, as the new head coach.
The Houston native comes to Grand Junction after coaching at the Division I level for the last three seasons. He was the defensive line coach for Texas State University and was the defensive coordinator for Division I-FCS Abilene Christian University for two seasons from 2017-18.
“We’re thrilled for Coach Jackson to take the helm of our football program,” CMU Assistant Athletic Director Kris Mort said in the CMU Press Release. “With his diverse coaching experience and successes, we believe he possesses all the necessary tools to continue to build our football program into a national powerhouse. From academics to athletics, discipline to community engagement, we are confident of his abilities to build a cohesive unit of strong young leaders.”
At Texas State, the Bobcats finished their 2019 campaign after a 3-9 season. Jackson’s resume, however, is highlighted by his success as the defensive coordinator at Abilene Christian. The Wildcats’ defense improved significantly under Jackson’s leadership and that led to their first winning season ever in 2018.
“My family and I are very excited to join the Maverick family,” Jackson said in the press release. “I would like to thank President [Tim) Foster], Kris Mort, Bryan Rooks and the entire search committee, especially chairman Sean McKinney, for giving me this opportunity to implement our vision at CMU. I look forward to getting into the community and working with the players to get the ship headed in the right direction.”
Jackson’s most notable experience near the head coaching position was as the assistant head coach at Div. II University of Sioux Falls. The new CMU head coach was there since 2013 and worked his way up from defensive line coaching position, to the defensive coordinator and then to the assistant head coach. The Cougars won a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championship in 2016 and made the postseason three times in three seasons from 2014-16. Jackson’s overall record while at USF was 32-5.
During the 2016 conference championship campaign, Jackson helped Sioux Falls earn a program best 12-1 record as well as their first ever NCAA Playoff game victory.
Jackson’s career began back in 2006 where he was hired on as Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s defensive coordinator and has held similar positions at Texas Southern and Evangel College. Before he was a coach at Texas Southern, Jackson was a former player for the Tigers after transferring from the University of Louisiana-Monroe.
