WEST CHESTER, Pa. – West Chester University director of athletics, Dr. Edward Matejkovic, announced the hiring of Mark Jackson as the head coach for the nationally ranked Golden Rams’ baseball program Wednesday.
Jackson comes to West Chester University from nearby Philadelphia University where he spent the previous six months. He brings over 20 years of coaching experience to West Chester University on a resume that includes two BIG EAST Conference titles while head coach at the University of Pittsburgh.
“The West Chester University baseball program has proven itself to be one of the top NCAA Division II teams in the nation in recent years, and it is a privilege for me to be a part of that type of program,” Jackson said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to coach a talented team that has reached such an elite status.”
The Lower Merion Township native holds a career coaching record of 659-280. He has an undergraduate degree from Penn State University and a master's degree from Temple University. He most recently coached at Texas A&M International University, where he directed a first-year NCAA Division II baseball team to a 32-18 record.
“Mark’s proven track record at all levels and his ability to produce conference champions was very attractive in our search for a head coach,” Matejkovic stated. “We needed to find somebody who could maintain the program’s high level of success and keep it going in the right direction.”
Previously, Jackson served as an assistant coach at Division I Duquesne University for three years, where he helped the Dukes to their first Atlantic 10 Conference baseball playoff appearance.
He spent seven years at the University of Pittsburgh, where his team staged a dramatic turnaround under his tutelage, going from last place in the BIG EAST three years prior to his arrival to winning both a BIG EAST regular-season championship ('94) and a Big East Tournament championship ('95).
As an NAIA coach, Jackson spent 12 years at Pointe Park University outside Pittsburgh, Pa., where he took his teams to five World Series, a third-place national finish and a record of 433-119 overall (good for a .793 winning percentage). His Pointe Park teams were consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally and authored two national winning streak records (37 and 41 games, respectively).
Currently, Jackson resides in Wynnewood, Pa.
