Villanova is a member of the BIG EAST Conference and the Colonial Athletic Association Football Conference, and also competes in the Colonial Athletic Association (rowing) and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (water polo). In addition, club sports and an extensive intramurals and recreation program fall under the auspices of the Athletic Department.

Jackson is committed to excellence in every facet of the student-athlete experience and to fostering an environment that allows the Wildcats to be successful on all fronts while maintaining Villanova’s place among the nation’s elite institutions for the combination of its academic prestige, athletic achievement and community service. In Jackson’s three years leading the Athletic Department, the Wildcats have won two national championships in men’s basketball and an individual NCAA title in men’s cross country. Seven different teams have competed in national postseason play in the last three years, and during that span Villanova has won 12 conference championships while producing dozens of individual conference titles.

Even for a school that traditionally stands out nationally for the academic success of its student-athletes, 2017-18 was a banner year for Villanova. When the NCAA announced its annual Academic Progress Rate (APR) public recognition awards in May 2018, the Wildcats led all of Division I with the highest percentage of its teams earning public recognition for having a multi-year APR score that ranked within the top 10 percent of their sport. Villanova had a total of 18 teams achieve this distinction, including football and both the men’s and women’s basketball programs. In addition, the Wildcats topped the BIG EAST Conference with the most student-athletes named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team for the third straight year.

Villanova student-athletes have extended their streak of consecutive semesters with a grade-point average above a 3.0 to 30 straight semesters over the last 15 academic years. Even more impressive is that the GPA for student-athletes has been above a 3.2 for seven consecutive terms, with the GPA in Spring 2018 setting a semester record at 3.322. On an individual level, there were 375 student-athletes named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in Spring 2018 for having a GPA of 3.2 or higher. A group of 23 student-athletes representing a dozen sports had a perfect 4.0 GPA for the semester.

The 2017-18 academic year was also a notable one in the various fields of competition. Villanova won its second men’s basketball national championship in the past three years with a dominant run through the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats won all six of their NCAA games by double digits, captured the BIG EAST title and finished the season with a school record 36 victories. Jalen Brunson was the consensus National Player of the Year and was also named a second team Capital One Academic All-American.

Also in 2017-18, the women’s basketball and men’s lacrosse programs each earned at-large berths in the NCAA Tournament after terrific regular season campaigns. It marked the 16th time in the last 19 years that women’s basketball advanced to national postseason play, while the men’s lacrosse team achieved its highest-ever national ranking when it landed at No. 4 in the USILA Coaches Poll during the year. The women’s track & field and cross country programs combined for a BIG EAST “triple crown” in 2017-18, as the Wildcats won conference titles in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field. Villanova earned a total of nine All-America honors in men’s and women’s track & field in 2017-18, while the women’s swimming & diving program won its fifth consecutive BIG EAST title in dominant fashion.

Villanova was presented with the 2014-15 and 2015-16 BIG EAST Conference President’s Cup in each of the first two years that this across-the-board honor has been awarded. The President’s Cup recognizes the BIG EAST member school that has excelled at an elite level in athletic competition, academic performance and community service.

During the 2016-17 academic year, the men’s basketball team returned to the No. 1 national ranking and won its fourth consecutive BIG EAST regular season title in addition to winning the postseason conference tournament for the second time in three seasons. The women’s basketball team won 20 games for the fifth consecutive season and reached the semifinal round of the WNIT for the first time. Men’s cross country student-athlete Patrick Tiernan capped his record-setting collegiate career by becoming the second Villanova men’s athlete to win the NCAA cross country title. Other highlights from 2016-17 included the football team returning to the FCS playoffs and the men’s soccer team reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The women’s swimming & diving team won its fourth straight BIG EAST crown in dominant fashion.

The success of Villanova’s athletics program in 2016-17 came on the heels of a remarkable 2015-16 campaign which was highlighted by the men’s basketball team winning the second national championship in program history. Head coach Jay Wright was named the Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year and the men’s basketball team was one of four Wildcats teams that advanced to national postseason play. The women’s cross country team earned a berth in the NCAA Championships and the volleyball team made its second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The women’s basketball team also returned to national postseason play. Villanova finished the year ranked No. 74 in the NACDA Directors’ Cup, including second among BIG EAST programs and fifth among FCS football schools.

Jackson’s leadership has enabled Villanova Athletics to reach record levels of fundraising in the past three years. Since his arrival on campus, Villanova Athletics has raised nearly $100 million while posting three consecutive record-setting years in terms of fundraising dollars. Jackson has steadily increased the number of leadership and major gift donors in support of athletics facility projects, most significantly helping to make possible $65 million in fundraising for the 100% donor funded Finneran Pavilion renovation. Other major projects include the October 2016 opening of the $18 million Andrew J. Talley Athletic Center and $4 million in facility enhancements to the Davis Center. Jackson also played a key role in securing $2 million for men’s and women’s lacrosse locker room upgrades and led construction of the $2 million track & field and cross country locker rooms and offices.

In June 2016 Jackson helped to secure an anonymous $1.3 million gift, the largest ever to a Villanova Athletics women’s program, for the construction of a new home venue for the field hockey team at the Proving Grounds in nearby Conshohocken, Pa. This transformational gift provides a new home for the field hockey team and positively impacts both the competitive and recruiting landscape of the program. A similar project was completed in September 2016 at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth, where the baseball team plays its home games. Through the generosity of alumni and friends of the baseball program, artificial turf was installed on the infield and behind home plate. Outfield wall padding was added in March 2017. In addition to numerous capital projects, Jackson has overseen the successful implementation of the “Nova Points” donor and season ticket holder points system and has prioritized fundraising for staffing, scholarship and operational support in the Athletic Department.

In addition to his responsibilities on campus, Jackson is involved with several external committees outside the university. He is currently the chair of the BIG EAST Athletic Directors Committee and the Big Five Athletic Directors Committee, as well as the Co-Chair of the Collegiate Sports Summit For Athletic Directors.

Jackson came to Villanova with nearly 20 years of experience and a comprehensive knowledge of all sports and the associated support that is necessary to sustain a high-level collegiate athletic program. He most recently served as the Senior Associate Director of Athletics and Chief Innovation Officer at the University of Southern California, where he had responsibility for the university’s flagship football program along with baseball, women’s lacrosse and support services, including sports medicine, strength and conditioning, nutrition, security and equipment and apparel operations.

Some highlights from his USC experience include oversight of more than $125 million in capital projects, playing a key role in a $300 million fundraising campaign for the USC athletic department, and managing the USC athletic department’s dealings with a multi-million dollar renovation of the Los Angeles Coliseum. Prior to USC, Jackson worked at Syracuse University as the Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director, where he oversaw all aspects of athletic administration and support for 20 men’s and women’s programs. At both USC and Syracuse, he was responsible for expanding the partnerships with key sponsors.

Jackson also developed a strong relationship with the NCAA, assisting with the development of a robust compliance program on campus and working with the NCAA senior leadership to plan and execute an annual Collegiate Sports Summit. He also has experience at the professional level with the Oakland Raiders and the New England Patriots, serving as Director of Football Development with Oakland from 2007-2008 and as a coaching assistant with New England for three seasons (1998-2000).

Jackson was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and played defensive back at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. He received his bachelor’s degree in government from Colby in 1995 and a master’s degree in public policy from Trinity College in 1997. Jackson, 45, and his wife, Tricia, are parents to four children: Grace, 17; Hannah, 15; Kevin, 13; and Sean, 11.