Brad Jackson was the head men's basketball coach at Western Washington University for 27 seasons from 1985 to 2012.
Jackson, 73, led the Vikings to a NCAA Division II National Championship in March of 2012, the school's first in that sport, and a school-record 31 victories. Named National Association of Basketball Coaches and DII Bulletin National DII Coach of the Year for 2011-12, he finished as the winningest coach in school history with 518 victories.
Jackson left WWU ranked No. 44 in NCAA II in career victories, No. 13 among active coaches in victories and No. 40 in winning percentage (.650). He had a career record of 518-279. Both his win total and winning percentage at WWU were school records.
Jackson resigned his position at WWU in August of 2012 to become an assistant at NCAA Division I University of Washington where he coached for five seasons. Most recently, he is beginning his third year as head coach at Sehome High School in Bellingham.
A 1975 graduate of Washington State, Jackson lettered in basketball and baseball for the Cougars. Â In basketball as a senior, he was team captain and led the then Pac-8 Conference in assists.
Prior to coming to WWU, Jackson served five years as an assistant coach at Seattle Pacific and five years as a high school head coach, four at Olympia and one at Eastside Catholic in Bellevue.
Jackson directed WWU to 19 national post-season appearances, winning the NCAA II national title in 2012 and reaching the national semifinals in 2001.
The Vikings had 12 20-win seasons during Jackson's tenure, including a school-record four straight in the late 1980s.
Jackson ranks third among the winningest collegiate basketball coaches in state of Washington history with 518 victories, and is one of just five to reach the 500 mark. Jackson was recruited to WSU by the leader in that category Marv Harshman (637), who later headed the UW program. Jackson also coached against the No. 2 person on the list, Central Washington's Dean Nicholson (620).
Jackson's father-in-law, Roland Halle, was a member of Washington's national semifinal team in 1953.
Jackson was an assistant coach for the West at the 1992 U.S. Olympic Sports Festival and was a past chair of the NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee where he was the Division II representative for five years.
Jackson directed a highly successful WWU Basketball Camp. Begun in 1986, the camp grew to be one of the largest in the northwest with alumni dotting the rosters of numerous colleges and universities as well as professional teams.
In high school, Jackson lettered three years each in baseball, basketball and football at Hudson's Bay High School in Vancouver, Wash. He averaged 23.0 points a game as a senior in basketball, earning all-America and all-state honors.
Jackson earned a bachelor's degree from Washington State in 1975 and a master's degree in athletic administration from Seattle Pacific in 1977. He and wife Debbie (formerly Halle), a four-time NCAA All-America gymnast at Seattle Pacific and a member of the school's Athletic Hall of Fame, have two grown children, daughter Lynsey and son Kyle; and three grandchildren.
The Vikings also reached the NAIA National Tournament under Jackson's leadership in 1988 and 1994, and the NCAA tourney in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010.
Jackson also earned Coach of the Year honors in 2012 for NABC West Region and Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Jackson was NCAA II West Region, Little All-Northwest and Pacific West Conference Coach of the Year in 2001. He also was NCAA II West Region Coach of the Year in 2010, NAIA District 1 Coach of the Year in 1988, 1989 and 1990, Little All-Northwest Coach of the Year in 1988, NAIA Pacific Northwest Region I Coach of the Year in 1994 and GNAC Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2009.
Also led WWU to NAIA national tournament appearances in 1988 and 1994, and NCAA tourney in 2005 (regional semifinals), 2006 (regional final), and 2009 (first round) ... Guided Vikings to 20 district/region playoff appearances, reaching finals 10 times and winning four titles ... Named Coach of the Year for NABC NCAA II West Region three times (2000-01, 2009-10 and 2011-12), NAIA District 1 three times (1988-91), NAIA Pacific Northwest Region I once (1994), Great Northwest Athletic Conference three times (2005, 2009, 2012) and Little all-Northwest twice (1988, 2001) ... In 1987-88, led Vikings to first district championship and national tournament appearance in 16 years ... Successful high school coach prior to tenure at WWU ... Led Eastside Catholic High School (Bellevue, WA) to first-ever Class AAA state playoff berth in 1984-85 ... Also coached four seasons at Olympia High School, directing Bears to three Class AA state playoff appearances ... His 1980-81 OHS team reached final eight at the state tournament ... Played under three head coaches at WSU, Marv Harshman, Bob Greenwood and George Raveling, and assistants Dale Brown, Jud Heathcote and Homer Drew ... Graduate assistant coach one year for Cougars, while completing bachelor's degree (1975) ... Also lettered two years in baseball at WSU.
