Scott Jackson is entering his fourth year as an assistant baseball coach and the recruiting coordinator at the University of North Carolina in 2012.
Jackson, who joined the Tar Heels in July 2008 after one season at Liberty, works with the offense, including hitting and base running, as well as infield play.
The Tar Heels have a record of 136-56 during Jackson's time in Chapel Hill and have turned in three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a pair of College World Series showings.
Despite the change in NCAA bat regulation in 2011 the Tar Heels turned in one of the top scoring seasons in school history. Carolina finished 10th in the nation in runs scored by putting up 452 for the season. A big reason for Carolina's run scoring was its ability to draw walks and get on base as the Tar Heels' 358 walks ranked second in the country.
Jackson's work with the Carolina infield came to fruition in 2011 as the Tar Heels finished fifth in the country and set a new school record with a .979 fielding percentage. Not a single player on the squad committed more than nine errors in 67 games.
Jackson was a big part of Levi Michael's development since stepping on campus. Michael was a Freshman All-America as a second baseman before making the move to third base in 2010 and to shortstop for the 2011 campaign. Michael's versatility appealed to the Minnesota Twins who selected the infielder 30th overall in the 2011 MLB Draft.
A pair of infielders turned in banner seasons a year ago under Jackson's watch as third baseman Colin Moran and Tommy Coyle each earned All-ACC honors.
Moran came to Carolina as an unheralded recruit but has developed into one of the top hitters in the country as he earned All-America honors and was named the Baseball America Freshman of the Year in 2011.
In his first season in Chapel Hill, Jackson helped guide the Tar Heels to their fourth consecutive College World Series appearance, a .313 team batting average and a .970 fielding percentage.
Jackson helped coach three-time All-America Dustin Ackley to Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year honors and also mentored all-conference selection Kyle Seager and freshman All-America Levi Michael. Both Ackley and Seager were selected in the top three rounds of the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Jackson's efforts on the recruiting trail have also paid off for the Tar Heels pulling in three straight top-10 classes, the 2010 group of newcomers ranked No. 7 nationally, while the 2011 class was ranked No. 6 and the latest group was ranked No. 4 in the country.
Prior to joining the staff at UNC, Jackson served as pitching coach at Liberty and UNC Wilmington over the last six years but has worked with hitters in coaching stops at Campbell, Barton and Wofford. He also served as head coach of the Wilmington Sharks of the Coastal Plain League in 2002 and earned the league's Coach of the Year Award.
In 2008 at Liberty, Jackson helped guide the Flames to a 35-26-1 record and a runner-up finish in the Big South Tournament to Cary Super Regional participant Coastal Carolina. Two of his pitchers were chosen in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, and his staff recorded a school record 508 strikeouts.
Jackson helped guide UNC Wilmington to one of the most successful periods in school history from 2003-07. He was an integral part of a staff that posted three straight 40-win seasons, won Colonial Athletic Association titles in 2004 and 2006 and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2003, 2004 and 2006.
Under Jackson's tutelage, six Seahawk pitchers were selected in the MLB Draft after going undrafted out of high school. His pitching staff established a number of school records at Wilmington, including strikeouts and saves.
Jackson also had coaching stints at Campbell (2002), Barton (2001) and Wofford (2000). In addition to his collegiate work, Jackson also spent two seasons with the Wilmington Sharks, where he was an assistant to fellow North Carolina assistant Scott Forbes in 2000. He led the Sharks to a league-best 31-17 mark in 2002 as head coach and coached five MLB draft picks.
Jackson is a 1998 graduate of Campbell with a bachelor's degree in physical education and he earned a master's degree in education in 2000, also from Campbell. During his playing days with the Camels, he played seven different positions and posted a career .268 batting average in 182 games.
A Charlotte native, Jackson is married to the former Sara Moore, who was a standout basketball player at Campbell. The couple has two sons, Ryan and Tyler.
