Marshall Athletics has announced that Men’s Basketball Coach Cornelius Jackson has signed a contract extension that will keep him as the leader of the Thundering Herd through the 2029-30 season.
The extension became official after it was approved by Marshall’s Board of Governors on Wednesday afternoon.
“Corny has earned this extension in so many ways!” said Christian Spears, Marshall’s Director of Athletics. “He has been mentored by some of the best, he has developed a culture of accountability and hard work that has been fully embraced by the team, and he has put together a staff who have phenomenal experience and want to be at Marshall.
“He deeply cares about every aspect of the program, and he will win here because he will flat-out put in the work. I’m excited for him, our community and our basketball program. It is in great hands.”
For the former Marshall standout-turned-head coach, it is the continuation of living out dreams he set during his playing days for the Herd from 1998-2001.
“I’m incredibly grateful to President Brad Smith, Christian Spears and the Board of Governors for their belief in me and our program,” Jackson said. “Marshall University is such a special place. I’m honored to continue representing this program, our student-athletes and our community.
“This extension isn’t just a commitment to me; it’s a commitment to the vision we share for Marshall Basketball. I couldn’t be more excited for where we’re headed. Go Herd!”
In his first season as Marshall’s head coach, Jackson led the team to a 20-win season and a 12-6 mark in Sun Belt Conference play.
That 12-6 mark earned the Herd the No. 5 seed in the 2025 SBC Tournament – a vast improvement from their preseason selection of finishing 10th out of 14 teams.
Jackson’s success landed him as a finalist for two national awards – the Joe B. Hall Award, given to the top first-year head coach in Division I Men’s Basketball, and the Ben Jobe Award, given to the top minority head coach in Division I Men’s Basketball.
Jackson was named Marshall’s head coach on March 25, 2024, after spending the previous seven seasons as an assistant coach. He served as Associate Head Coach for the 2023-24 season.
An all-time Marshall great at point guard from 1998-2001, Jackson has also coached some of the greatest players in Marshall history, having mentored all-time leading scorer Taevion Kinsey and all-time leading shot blocker Obinna Anochili-Killen while also having coached Herd great Jon Elmore for two seasons – the first of which ended with Marshall’s first NCAA Tournament berth in 31 years.
