Richard Jackson tabbed as Tennessee baseball assistant by Tony Vitello
Richard Jackson was announced as a Tennessee baseball assistant coach by Tony Vitello on Thursday.
Jackson has been the volunteer assistant coach for the past two seasons after two seasons as a student assistant coach. Jackson pitched for the Vols from 2015-19.
“Loyalty and family are two things that everyone in our group takes very seriously, not just with words but with actions," Vitello said in a school release. "Richard was a great teammate and competitor as a player and continues to be both of those things regardless of his title.”
Jackson is the third full-time assistant coach, joining hitting coach Josh Elander and pitching coach Frank Anderson on Vitello's staff. The core of Vitello, Elander and Anderson has been together since Vitello was hired in 2017. Jackson assumed the volunteer assistant role after former UT volunteer assistant Ross Kivett was hired at Houston following the 2021 season.
The NCAA Division I Council voted in January to permit coaching staffs to have a fourth full-time coach, which allowed for a third full-time assistant coach. The limit previously was three full-time coaches with two assistant coaches.
The NCAA Division I Council voted to eliminate the voluntary coach designation across Division I and include those coaches within a new limit for countable coaches in each of the applicable sports. The number of countable coaches in baseball, softball and other sports increased to four in total.
Jackson, an Atlanta native, went 1-0 with a 1.40 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 19⅓ innings pitched as a senior in 2019. Opponents hit .119 against him in 21 appearances that season, helping UT reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005.
"He's been a huge part of our success since he's started coaching," Anderson said in a school release. "He works extremely hard and is very well organized. Every year, he's become more knowledgeable and continued to grow as a coach. He has an extremely bright future as a pitching coach."
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee baseball tabs Richard Jackson as assistant coach
