Ex-Akron Zips basketball coach Melissa Jackson hired at Youngstown State
Former University of Akron women’s basketball coach Melissa Jackson has found a new team to lead.
Youngstown State University announced Thursday that Jackson would take the reins of its women’s team.
"I want to thank Youngstown State University president Bill Johnson and executive director of Intercollegiate Athletics Ron Strollo for trusting me with this amazing opportunity," Jackson said in a prepared statement. "From the start of this process, Ron and I have been perfectly aligned in the vision for Youngstown State women's basketball."
Coach Jackson (@CoachJackson21) has enhanced her reputation in Northeast Ohio for the last 16 years of her coaching career. 15 of those seasons were at Akron, including five as its head coach. She was an assistant at Cleveland State in 2023-24.#GoGuins🐧
— Youngstown State WBB🐧 (@YSUWomensHoops) March 14, 2024
After five seasons leading the Zips, where she spent 15 seasons total, the university declined to renew her contract after the 2022-23 season.
Prior to the non-renewal, the university investigated an undisclosed accusation from a player and offered no findings and closing the investigation.
Akron basketball news: Zips coach Melissa Jackson denies accusations by ex-player; UA closes investigation
After her departure, Jackson landed with the Cleveland State Vikings (29-5) as an assistant for the 2023-24 season. The Vikings lost Tuesday’s Horizon League Tournament championship game to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and await their postseason fate on Selection Sunday this upcoming weekend.
Jackson’s teams went 70-66 at UA and she was the only coach of the women’s team to leave with a winning record.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ex-Akron Zips coach Melissa Jackson hired at Youngstown State
