Former Ohio State quarterback Stanley Jackson Sr. puts stamp on Westerville North football
Westerville North's decision to hire Stanley Jackson Sr. as football coach turned heads across central Ohio. After all, it's not every day that a former Ohio State player takes over a high school program in the Columbus area.
The move was not intended to garner attention, however. It was about building a winning program, and so far players and administrators have been impressed.
Jackson, a former Buckeyes quarterback who was approved by the school board in February, has assembled a coaching staff with familiar football names, including former Ohio State players such as running back Chris “Beanie” Wells, defensive tackle Winfield Garnett and offensive lineman Eric Smith.
“The energy that our new staff has brought under Stan’s leadership has been fun to watch this offseason,” athletic director Wes Elifritz said. “They are bringing their own culture of accountability and hard work to our players, and I’ve been very impressed with the dedication shown by our young men so far.”
Jackson, who played at Ohio State from 1994-97, sees the coaching staff’s knowledge and commitment as keys to building a winner. The previous coach, Bryan Johnson, stepped down after his teams went 16-36 in five seasons, although he did make strides.
Johnson led North to a 6-4 finish in 2020, its first winning season since 2004, and he was named Division I state Coach of the Year. North went 5-5 in 2005 and 16-104 over the next 12 seasons before Johnson's arrival, including five winless seasons and a 45-game losing streak from 2008-12.
“The coaching staff is dynamic,” Jackson said. “Most (of the) time they have more energy than the kids because they’ve lived it. They know what’s at stake and you can see the kids changing right in front of us. We put in a really robust strength and conditioning program with a lot of speed work, so you’re seeing the team getting faster and stronger. It’s totally different than what they’ve done in the past from a technique standpoint.
“We talk about our backgrounds all the time because I want them to know that they’re not learning from guys who read it in a book. They’re learning from guys who played at a very high level.”
The offseason included playing in a 7-on-7 scrimmage at Springfield on June 22. Springfield has lost the past two Division I state championship games and also reached state semifinals in 2019 and 2020.
“I scheduled that on purpose (because) I wanted us to be challenged,” Jackson said. “We learned why Springfield has played for a state championship the last of couple of years — they’re really good. They have talent across the board, but we also learned that we’re not that far off and we can compete with them. It’s not real football because you don’t have a line, but it was nice to see our guys compete at that level.”
The preseason officially kicks off with two-a-day practices July 31. North's season opener is Aug. 18 at home against Westerville Central.
Jackson’s son, Ronald, was North’s starting quarterback last season as a sophomore. He was 143-for-268 passing for 1,738 yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Another son, Stanley Jackson Jr., graduated after rushing for a team-high 833 yards and five touchdowns on 172 carries.
“Having the quarterback is significant,” Jackson Sr. said.
Including freshmen, Jackson said there are about 120 players in the program.
“The (offseason workouts are) voluntary, but if you’re not there you’re going to be way behind,” he said. “The language is different. The offense and defense are different, so you have to be there to learn those things. We’ve had great turnouts. We probably have about 85 percent of guys showing up. Guys who are playing other sports, you just can’t help that. We’ll try to get them caught up as quickly as possible.”
Lineman Jake Cook, a junior who has several Division I college offers, feels energized by the new staff.
“I saw a change the first week of lifting,” Cook said. “It’s awesome, and now that we have all the coaches there and we’re getting into more football stuff, it’s a huge change. Coach Stan told me who he was bringing in (to coach) and I was in shock. I still can’t believe I’m being coached by (Smith) and coach Garnett every day.”
The football program isn't the only thing at North that has a new look. The Warriors will play on new turf at Jim McCann Stadium, which also has a new track and scoreboard.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Jackson said. “In some ways, we’re ahead of schedule, and others we’re behind. There’s more talent on the roster than I anticipated. Every coach evaluates a little differently, so there’s some guys that really haven’t played much that have a lot of talent. We’re happy with where we are. Time has gone by fast.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Former Ohio State QB Stanley Jackson tackles high school coaching
