Bio

Byron Jackson enters his seventh season as the South Mountain Community College women’s basketball head coach in the 2020-21 academic year. In his tenure at the helm of the Cougars, Jackson has rebuilt the program into a consistent ACCAC playoff participant and a destination for student-athletes looking to continue their careers at four-year institutions.

In the 2019-20 season, Jackson guided SMCC to a 12-15 overall record and 10-12 mark in ACCAC play. The Cougars qualified for the ACCAC Playoffs for the second-straight season and the team recorded an impressive win at Mesa CC.

Individually, Prima Chellis became the fourth Cougar in school history to earn NJCAA Division II All-America honors after leading the conference in scoring. She also earned First Team All-Region and Second Team All-ACCAC honors and committed to SIU-Edwardsville for the 2020-21 season.

Jackson and the Cougars posted a 14-13 overall record in the 2018-19 season, one of three seasons over .500 that SMCC has posted in program history. The Cougars added an 11-11 mark in ACCAC action, its most wins in conference play since 1995-96. During the season, SMCC posted impressive wins over Pima CC, Arizona Western and Eastern Arizona.

Haley Eaves received First Team All-NJCAA Region I Division II and Second Team All-ACCAC honors. Kayla Burrows also earned a spot on both teams, receiving Second Team All-NJCAA Region I Division II and Third Team All-ACCAC honors.

In the 2017-18 season, Jackson and SMCC posted an 11-16 overall record and 8-14 mark in ACCAC action. The Cougars swept their conference series with Chandler-Gilbert CC, Eastern Arizona and Tohono O’odham CC while also recording wins over Phoenix College and Scottsdale CC.

Individually, Kayla Clark earned Second Team All-NJCAA Region I Division II and All-ACCAC honors. She averaged 13.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game for the season, leading the conference in rebounding and finishing in top 10 in scoring.

In 2016-17, Jackson and the Cougars broke through and finished 7-17 overall record and 5-17  in ACCAC action. Jackson’s first career win came in the season opener, a 101-36 triumph over Dine College on Nov. 5.  SMCC also recorded a non-conference win against Utah State-Eastern and then defeated Chandler-Gilbert CC (twice), Glendale CC, Tohono O’odham CC and Phoenix College.

Raegene Womack received Second Team All-NJCAA Region I Division II and Third Team All-ACCAC honors following the season. She averaged 13.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, leading the conference in rebounding.

The first two years of Jackson’s tenure featured growing pains as he and his staff begun the process of restoring the program. Despite the setbacks, Jackson remained committed to the task at hand and these early years helped him establish a culture that is now thriving.

Prior to coming to SMCC, Jackson gained coaching experience at South Point Middle and High School in South Phoenix. He also worked extensively with Phoenix College head coach Kristine Kincaid.

Jackson graduated from Trevor Browne High School in Phoenix. He spent one season on the SMCC men’s basketball team, playing for head coach Dan Nichols. He then attended Northwest Missouri State, where 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.

Jackson and his girlfriend Shareka Love live in Phoenix.