This is part seven of a 12-part series spotlighting the new head coaches in the region penned by D2EastHoops, Tim McCaffrey.
It wasn’t too long ago Sade Jackson was dishing out assists for the Adelphi Panthers on the floor. Now, she will be on the sidelines attempting to give an assist that can not be measured by any stat program.
Jackson, a 2014 graduate of Adelphi, is the new women’s basketball coach on the Garden City campus. The chance to return to the school where she’s the all-time assist leader was easy.
“It was a no-brainer,” Jackson said on returning to her Alma Mater. “I’m a little nervous with how good the last two coaches were, but I’m super excited to hit the ground running.”
The legacies of her immediate predecessors can not be overlooked. Heather Jacobs to Wagner and Missy Traversi to Army have made the Long Island institution a destination job. While the Panthers have a recent history of accomplishment, nothing is guaranteed for the first-year coach.
“We only have two returning players who have played in a game and we have 16 strong players,” Jackson said. “The goal is to get 1% better everyday.”
Last season Jackson was an assistant coach for Wagner with her college mentor Jacobs.
“She encouraged me to go for the job,” said the 1,000-point scorer. “I’m passionate about this place.”
This is not Jackson’s first rodeo as a college coach. She took a Pratt Institute program and helped guide it to a school-record win total in 2018.
“At Pratt, I’m not even sure I was ready,” Jackson reflected. “I spent too much time trying to talk through everything instead of coaching.”
It’s that type of ability to get 1% better that should benefit the Panthers. As for her coaching style?
“It’s all about the defensive side of the ball. We are going to push and play fast and hopefully score quite a bit with our secondary transition.”
While there was no mention of assists, expect plenty more from Jackson, albeit uncredited in the stats.
Tim McCaffrey is an opinion and features writer for D2EastHoops. He can be reached at tpmccaffrey@gmail.com
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