Talladega College

Entering his second season at Talladega College, Dannton Jackson is a Los Angeles native whose basketball journey began at Xavier University Louisiana (XULA) where he played on the men’s team before earning his bachelor of arts degree in political science and later a master of arts in education administration in the mid 90’s.

Jackson believes that his path from LA to XULA–the only historically Black, Catholic university in the United States began with his parents who met in The Big Easy decades before. Jackson eventually became a legacy student-athlete at Xavier where his passion for the game became evident beyond undergrad after spending some time shadowing assistant coach Anthony Roman in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circles, leading him to pursue a career that would leave a lasting impact on collegiate basketball. 

Jackson made his transition into coaching full-time at his alma mater, after landing his first job as an assistant women’s basketball coach given to him by longtime mentor and late friend, Janice Joseph-Richard. As he continued gaining momentum at the institution, Coach Jackson went on to juggle many hats in Xavier University’s sphere of sports. From head men’s and women’s cross country coach, assistant men’s basketball coach then associate basketball coach under another mentor, Dale Valdery. His dedication and ability to develop players quickly became apparent, earning him a promotion to head coach in 2002. 

For more than a decade, Jackson transformed Xavier's men's basketball program into a powerhouse. Tallying an impressive 294-130 career record, solidifying him as XULA's all-time winningest head coach in men's basketball. Jackson was inducted in XULA’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2024. His teams have reached 20 victories 11 times, won five Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championships — three in a row from 2011-14 — and qualified for NAIA nationals 10 times, including each of his final six seasons. His Gold Rush were 294-130 (.693) in 13 seasons (2002-05, 2006-16) and averaged 22.6 victories per season. Additionally, he served two terms as athletic director at Xavier University, and was the first African-American to serve as the president of men’s basketball for the NAIA Division I and Division II.

Jackson went on to hold coaching positions at the University at Albany and the University of Alabama Birmingham respectively. Jackson boasts multiple players under his wing to go on to pursue head coaching careers of their own, including fellow 2024 inductee Shaun Dumas as well as Landon Bussie at Alcorn State among others. Not only that, Jackson has coached one of the top AAU basketball teams and has mentored over eight NBA players throughout his decorated career.

In Fall 2023, Jackson took on his newest challenge as the head coach of Talladega College's men's basketball team. He feels that his previous positions have immensely prepared him for his current role at TC, seeking a holistic approach to preparing the athlete scholars for winning seasons on and off the court.