Jackson Rebuilds SMCC Women’s Hoops Behind Support of Many

Of all the people South Mountain Community College women's basketball head coach Byron Jackson wanted to thank for where he and the Cougars are today, he had one standout in particular: his girlfriend Shareka Love. Such is the case when you finish 0-44 in your first two conference seasons as a college head coach and don't know where to turn.

"She has gone through a lot of late nights and early mornings with me, and she never gets enough credit," said Jackson, who enters his seventh season as the women's hoops head coach at SMCC this fall. "Early on, she had me doing a lot of brainstorming about how I could get the team better, and she spoke to the girls a lot. She still does, and that shows that this program is not just about me."

Born and raised in south Phoenix, Jackson has a strong affinity for the area. He graduated from Trevor Browne High School and then played basketball for one season at SMCC under current men's head coach Dan Nichols.

"I thought Byron was the toughest player I saw while I worked at Maryvale High School. He played at Trevor Browne, and we were rivals, so when I started at SMCC, he was the first player I recruited," said Nichols. "He is the best rebounder I have ever coached. He was a physical player who was extremely motivated and had the tenacity to get the ball."

From there, Jackson played at NCAA Division II Northwest Missouri State for head coach Steve Tappmeyer. He earned all-conference honorable mention honors in 2004 after leading the squad with 272 rebounds, the third-most in program history for a single season.

As he moved into coaching ranks, Jackson gained some invaluable coaching experience at South Point Middle and High School, a charter school in south Phoenix. He also worked extensively with Kristine Kincaid, the head coach at Phoenix College.

"Coach Kincaid has been my biggest mentor in coaching," Jackson said. "She and her family were some of my biggest supporters. She taught me a lot about the game, and allowed me to work with her before I started at South Mountain CC to get a feel for the college experience from a coaching perspective."

"I tell my players that some of them are going to be coaches, but it is hard to say who," Nichols added. "After leaving SMCC, Byron played at a great program with coaches who helped him grow mentally and physically. He played for guys that had good basketball minds, and as he matured, I was not surprised to see him become a head coach."

So, when the women's position opened at SMCC, he jumped at the opportunity. Unfortunately, the winning did not come easily, and in his first two years, the Cougars finished winless.

"It was a new experience that was exciting and scary at the same time," Jackson said. "I did and didn't know what I was getting into, and we only had five or six girls and a low team GPA. It was humbling and embarrassing. I would go to tournaments with my SMCC gear on, and people would laugh or flat out refuse to speak with my girlfriend or me. But those critics drove us to get better, and it was worth it."

Jackson is a big proponent of pressing and running for all 94 feet on the court. While he accordingly cites West Virginia's Bob Huggins as a big coaching inspiration, his biggest coaching favorite is Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo.

"I am a huge Coach Izzo fan. I like the toughness his teams play with and the type of student-athletes he recruits," Jackson said. "He treats his players the same and doesn't mind going against the best competition. He is tough on his players, but loves them all."

That constant defensive pressure is not for the faint-hearted. It requires dedication, stamina and is an eye-opener for newcomers.

"I think people see we press and run, but once we start training, it can be an awakening," Jackson said. "We train on the top of South Mountain, and while people may be mentally prepared, few are ready for the physical component."

The improvement has been evident in the column that matters most to coaches, the wins. After those first two years,  South Mountain Community College won seven games in Jackson's third season (2016-17), 11 games in 2017-18 and then posted an overall winning record (14-13) and .500 mark in ACCAC action (11-11) in the 2018-19 season.

Two assistant coaches, Derek Johnson and Alfred Craig, have been with Jackson since the start, and they have helped in immeasurable ways.

"Those guys were with me during those dark times and are just as responsible for rebuilding the program and changing the culture," Jackson said. "Derek has been instrumental in turning around the academic side of the program while Alfred has been invaluable in getting our recruiting ramped up."

There have also been notable program achievements as Jackson and his teams developed. Over the past two seasons, the Cougars have produced their first wins in a long time against ACCAC rivals Central Arizona, Mesa Community College and Pima Community College.

The momentum started when the Cougars prevailed over Central Arizona, defeating the Vaqueros 89-82 at home on Dec. 12, 2018.  Haley Eaves came off the bench to score 40 points, finishing 16 of 37 from the field and 8 of 17 from 3-point range.

From there, SMCC posted an 89-87 home win against Pima CC on Feb. 16, 2019. In that victory, Beyonce Jordan and Kaylah Burrows each recorded a double-double. Jordan finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds while Burrows had 23 points and 10 boards.

Finally, the team scored an impressive 59-57 road win at Mesa Community College on Jan. 18, 2020. That is the only victory for the Cougars in the series since 2012, and victory came on a last-second lay-up from Prima Chellis. She finished with 23 points and nine rebounds in the thrilling win.

"Beating Mesa CC is one of my favorite memories at South Mountain CC," said Chellis. "There were about 10 seconds left, and we in-bounded the ball from half-court. From there, I just drove left and hit the lay-up to give us the game-winner. That moment had me so excited."

The Cougars have qualified for the ACCAC Tournament after each of the last two seasons. They have won three of their previous four games against Phoenix College and two of their previous three against Arizona Western.

"It takes time to grow programs and get students and families to trust you," Nichols said. "Byron realizes there is a lot to learn, and he seeks that knowledge out whenever he can. He is a learner and wants to get better. In addition to his command and presence, he is a great person who is a positive mentor."

Individually, Jackson has helped almost a dozen young women achieve their dream to play basketball at a four-year institution.

Raegene Womack received Second Team All-ACCAC honors in 2016-17, the first Cougar to earn conference honors under Jackson. Kayla Clark earned Second Team All-ACCAC honors in 2017-18 and 2018-19, and Eaves received First Team honors in 2018-19.

This year was Chellis' time to shine. She became just the fourth Cougar in program history to receive All-America honors, receiving an NJCAA Division II Third Team award. That came in addition to First Team NJCAA All-Region I Division II and Second Team All-ACCAC honors.

A 5-10 forward, Chellis averaged a team-leading 20.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game during the regular season, topping the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference in scoring. She was a dominant offensive force all season for the Cougars, finishing with at least 30 points in six different games and posting 15 double-doubles.

"Under Coach Jackson, I have learned always to be a leader," Chellis said. "He showed me that even if you go through some struggles, there are people around you that will not give up. Coach Jackson makes sure you know he is always a call away. He can tell if you are down or feeling a certain way, and he always provided options and help. If it weren't for my family at South Mountain CC, I wouldn't be here right now."

Chellis is also the first Jackson recruit to sign with an NCAA Division I program, a continued sign of the program's ascent. She will head to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville this fall, where she and the Cougars (different school, same mascot) compete in the Ohio Valley Conference for a chance to play in March Madness.

"I am so excited to head to SIU-Edwardsville. I have been in Arizona my whole life, and I wanted a change," Chellis added. "Going to an NCAA Division I school was my ultimate goal, and that wouldn't have happened without the opportunity I got at SMCC. "

She spoke warmly about the family atmosphere Jackson and his staff have created. Chellis came to the school with her best friend, Hallie Price, and the two talked about having the chance to help change the program.

"The coaches and staff treat you like family, and everyone I came across at the college was always more than willing to help," Chellis said. "The school has a snack shop for families to help if you couldn't afford food elsewhere or didn't have any in the house."

With Chellis' departure, Jackson and Cougars have reloaded with a strong recruiting class. With the coronavirus putting a wrench in regular communication and training plans, Jackson and his staff have used technology to stay connected with their student-athletes.

"The girls have been posting their workouts, and we make sure to check in on not just the student-athletes, but also their families," Jackson said. "We tell the girls from day one that this is not just about basketball. We were lucky in that we filled out the majority of our roster before the pandemic hit, and I believe this freshman class is the best I have recruited."

The 2020-21 season is in a bit of limbo right now due to the coronavirus. Whenever Jackson and the Cougars return to the court, they will return to their pressing ways as if little has changed. And when he looks up into the stands during games, Jackson knows he'll have his biggest supporter ready to share in the experience of the next win or loss.