Charlie Jackson (American football coach)

Born in Vienna, Georgia, Jackson is a 1995 academic honors graduate of Macon County High School in Montezuma, Georgia. As a football player at Macon County, he was named to the Georgia Academic All-State football team and many on the field accolades, including First Team All-State recognition and Georgia Class-A Football Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was named First Team All-Area by the Americus Times-Recorder, First Team All-Middle Georgia by the Macon Telegraph & News, and First Team All-State by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Georgia Sports Writers Association.

Jackson accepted an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy, and he participated in football and indoor track and field as a student-athlete. One of his many football highlights was his sophomore season performance against the United States Naval Academy in 1997. In front of the largest crowd in Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium history, undefeated and #16 ranked Air Force traveled to Annapolis and defeated Navy 10-7. Jackson was named player of the game and subsequently conference player of the week. Following his senior football season, Jackson was selected by his teammates as a permanent team captain and recipient of Air Force football’s highest honor, the Brian Bullard Award, as the player who displays unselfishness, pride in his role, total team commitment, and 110 percent effort. Jackson helped Air Force become a consistent member of the Top 25 national rankings, including a Top 10 final ranking and conference championship in 1998.

Charlie Jackson giving a White House Rose Garden presentation to United States President, Bill Clinton, on May 9, 2000.

Charlie Jackson seen with President Clinton, College Football Hall of Fame Coach, Fisher DeBerry, Lieutenant General, Tad Oelstrom, and Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Cale Bonds.

Jackson earned a bachelor's degree in management from the United States Air Force Academy. He has a master's degree in management and sports studies from California State University, Long Beach.

Jackson was a Commissioned Officer in the United States Air Force and ascended to the rank of Captain while being stationed more than four years at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida and Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. His duties included serving as the U.S. Government point man in negotiations with three foreign government agencies in support of international treaty agreements

On February 17, 2017, Jackson was hired as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL).[1] On February 1, 2019, Jackson was named head football coach at Kentucky State University. He is the winningest (percentage) head football coach at Kentucky State since 1945 (WWII) minimum 20 games. Jackson arrived at Kentucky State with the football program in the midst of a downward spiral that culminated in a 0-10 season in 2018. He took over a program on a 12-game losing streak and a record of 1-16 in the previous 17 games. In his first year leading the program in 2019, the team win total improved by seven games, the highest total win improvement in the country. His team posted victories over multiple Division 1 opponents for the first time in school history, and his team's 70 percent winning percentage (7-3) was the program's best in 41 years. After not competing in 2020 due to COVID-19, the next season produced more winning and the team's 14 win improvement over two seasons ranked #1. Jackson's team set many university records including points in an away game (76), points in a home game (63), total yards in a game (746), rush yards in a game (662), Division 1 victories, and most players with a 3.0 GPA or higher. Less than one month into his first season, Jackson had multiple historic victories including the 36th-annual Circle City Classic.[2]

Jackson is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). His professional associations include the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), NFL Coaches Association (NFLCA), National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), National Association of Athletics Compliance (NAAC), Minority Coaches Association of Georgia (MCAofGA), and the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA).

• Kentucky State profile