Claflin University held a press conference Wednesday morning, 07/24/2013 at 11:00 am to announce its new leader of the men’s basketball program.

Dr. Jerome Fitch welcomed everyone to the university and this special event, and introduced, Ricky Jackson as the new head men’s basketball coach of the Claflin University Panthers. Jackson is joining the Panther staff after serving five years as top assistant to the men’s program at Shaw University in Raleigh NC. "We believe Jackson is the right fit for Claflin University. We are moving forward. He brings outstanding credentials as a head coach and a mentor for student-athletes. He is a passionate student of the game and I have every confidence that our program will continue a tradition of excellence under his leadership," Fitch said.

Coach Jackson began his words with, "it is an honor to be here, and we intend to be visible in this community and build a winning program. I am a man of a very few words but I must thank Shaw University for giving me an opportunity to learn and grow. Now I am ready to take off. We are going to win, we will win, and we will win." Coach Jackson also thanked his wife Kim Jackson for her support throughout his career.

Winning has been a constant where Jackson has coached. Before joining the staff at Shaw in 2008, Jackson spent 12 years at Gloucester County College of Sewell, NJ. the last eight as head coach. During his tenure as head coach, Gloucester won seven consecutive golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Northern Division titles.

His teams were Region XIX champions three times and Jackson captured Coach of the Year honors three times each by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) District 6 and Region XIX. He ended his head coaching career at Gloucester with a 183-35 record, a remarkable .839 winning percentage.

In recent years, Shaw has shifted its national prominence upward. The Bears won the CIAA title in 2011 and have been a mainstay in national and regional polls, ranking as high as No. 7 in the NCAA Division II final poll in 2011-12.

Jackson is a graduate of Virginia Union University of Richmond, VA., in 1991 and earned a master’s in human services from Springfield College of Springfield, Mass., in 2001.

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