MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A baseball veteran with unique experiences across all levels of the game, Kerrick Jackson has been named the head coach of the Memphis Tiger baseball program following an exhaustive national search.
Jackson, a well-respected leader, recruiter, talent evaluator, player developer and baseball visionary, comes to Memphis following a stint as the President of the MLB Draft League. Jackson also serves on the American Baseball Coaches Association Board of Directors and is the chair of their Diversity in Baseball committee. He becomes the 17th head baseball coach in Memphis history and replaces Daron Schoenrock, who is retiring after 18 seasons at the helm of the Tigers.
“I am truly honored to be given this opportunity to lead the Memphis Tiger baseball program,” Jackson said. “I have always believed that this is a special program with unlimited potential. When you factor in the City of Memphis and its passion, the region and its talent, the baseball program and its history, and the University and its credibility, you have all you need to build a nationally respected program. My family and I are looking forward to being involved in the community and are grateful that Laird has entrusted me with the future of this program.”
“We had an incredible amount of interest in our head coaching job, and Kerrick immediately rose to the top of a group of very qualified leaders,” Memphis Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Laird Veatch said. “We are poised to enter an exciting new era of Memphis Baseball that includes this offseason’s $3.5 million renovation to FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field. As numerous colleagues of his we spoke with during this process echoed, we feel Kerrick is the perfect person to lead our program into the future. He is extremely well respected in the baseball industry, and he is the best person to make us nationally relevant in the game.”
“We are extremely excited to bring Kerrick, Talia, Zion and Lazarus to Memphis,” Memphis Associate Athletic Director for Development and baseball administrator Blair DeBord said. “When we set out to find a leader to take over for Coach Schoenrock, we sought someone with a track record of identifying and recruiting talent, someone with a vision for what Memphis Baseball could become that aligned with our own and someone who has experienced success at multiple levels of the game. Kerrick possesses all of that, and as a result he quickly separated himself during our process. We look forward to building a baseball powerhouse in Memphis.”
Before joining MLB, Jackson served as the head coach at Southern University from 2018-20, where he took a nine-win team in 2018 to 32 wins, a conference championship and the NCAA Tournament the following season en route to SWAC and Louisiana Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year accolades. His 2018 Jaguar team boasted the athletic department’s highest men’s team GPA and also received national recognition for its community service efforts.
Prior to his stint at Southern, Jackson worked for the Boras Corporation as a certified player agent for two years from 2016-17, where he was tasked with identifying prep and college players with the best chance to develop into Major League talent.
Jackson came to the Boras Corporation from the University of Missouri, where he served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for five seasons (2011-15). During his tenure at Mizzou, the Tigers captured the program’s first Big 12 championship in 2012 and had multiple nationally-ranked recruiting classes, including 24th in 2012, 12th in 2014 and consensus top-30 in 2015.
Before heading to Missouri, Jackson served as the Midwest Area Scouting Supervisor for the Washington Nationals from 2008-10, overseeing Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska and the Dakotas.
His other collegiate coaching stops include assistant stints at Fairfield (2001), Emporia State (2002), Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College (2003), Jefferson (Mo.) College (2004-05), Nicholls State (2006-07) and St. Louis Community College-Meramec (2008).
Jackson also has extensive experience in the summer collegiate league world, as he has coached in the Cape Cod League and New England Collegiate Baseball League.
As a player, Jackson spent two years at St. Louis Community College-Meramec, where the team finished third at the JUCO World Series in 1995. Following that, he played at Bethune-Cookman University in 1996, leading the squad to its first-ever conference championship and regional appearance. Jackson concluded his playing career at Nebraska in 1997, where he graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology.
A St. Louis native, Jackson and his wife, Talia, have two sons, Zion and Lazarus.
What They Are Saying
Dana Brown, Atlanta Braves Vice President of Scouting
“Kerrick and I worked together with the Washington Nationals, where I gave him his first job as a scout because of his feel for evaluating talent and people. Kerrick is a good human being and a great family man. I believe he will be a difference maker as he recruits players, and his skillset has allowed him to wear many different hats in the game which makes him a prime candidate as a college coach. I’ve been in professional baseball for over 30 years as a player, coach and scouting executive, and I would happily turn my son, nephew or grandson over to Kerrick to coach and impact their lives.”
Ben Cherington, Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager
“I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Kerrick over the last several years. I believe the University of Memphis is getting an outstanding baseball coach and person. Kerrick is a skilled coach and developer of players. Even more, his strong values and authenticity will make a positive impact not just on the baseball program but across campus. I’m very happy for Kerrick and the University of Memphis.”
Tim Corbin, Vanderbilt Head Coach & ABCA Hall of Famer
2-Time National Champion, 3-Time National Coach of the Year, Coached 52 All-Americans
“Kerrick is such a good fit for the University of Memphis and its baseball program. He has excelled in many environments and left opportunities in better shape than how he found them. Selfishly, when Kerrick was named President of the MLB Draft League, I felt that this was a big loss for college baseball and the coaching community. Kerrick’s entrance back into college baseball at the University of Memphis is tremendously significant and meaningful. He will impact young men and the collegiate environment beyond winning baseball games. Our college game got better today, by Kerrick’s inclusion in it. I am happy for Kerrick, Talia and their family, and excited for the young men at Memphis who will have the opportunity to learn under Kerrick’s leadership.”
Craig Keilitz, American Baseball Coaches Association Executive Director
“The University of Memphis has hired a proven coach and leader in Kerrick Jackson. Kerrick’s leadership within the American Baseball Coaches Association has been a tremendous benefit for the sport of baseball and the development of our game at a national level. His passion for developing student-athletes both on the field and in the classroom make him a tremendous hire for the Tigers. I’m equally as excited for Kerrick as I am for the University of Memphis baseball program.”
Paul Mainieri, Former Head Coach at LSU and Notre Dame & ABCA Hall of Famer
National Champion, 1,500 Career Wins, 4-Time National Coach of the Year
“I’m so happy to see Kerrick Jackson back in college baseball where I believe he will once again prove to be an outstanding coach and molder of men. I have tremendous respect for Kerrick, as I saw first-hand the way he ran a program at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He will run a program with discipline and hold everyone associated with the baseball program at Memphis accountable to do the right things all the time. This is a great hire for the University and its athletic program. Kerrick is well prepared to do a great job at Memphis.”
Harold Reynolds, 12-Year Major League Baseball Veteran, 2-Time All-Star & Current MLB Network Analyst
“Kerrick is a great selection and will make a tremendous coach at the University of Memphis. The coaching will speak for itself because he will build a winning program, but what’s most impressive about Kerrick is he has a proven track record of developing young people into strong, respectful adults. After all, that’s what it’s all about!”
Morgan Sword, Major League BaseballExecutive Vice President of Baseball Operations
“We are grateful to Kerrick for his tireless efforts leading the MLB Draft League. In a short time, he established the Draft League as the destination for top draft-eligible players from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. He is a dynamic leader with deep relationships throughout collegiate and professional baseball. We wish him and his family the best at Memphis as he gets started leading the program.”
Tony Vitello, Tennessee Head Coach
2022 Postseason No. 1 Overall Seed, 2021 National Coach of the Year, 2021 College World Series
“Kerrick has a tremendous presence as a person and a coach. There is no doubt he will bring the program up to his high competitive standards. But what I know will be more important to him will be developing players on the field and men away from the field. While I realize he is being hired to be the baseball coach, I think it’s a safe bet those values he instills and the way he goes about it will affect the entire University and even the community. For someone who has fallen in love with the state of Tennessee, I couldn’t be more excited to see the caliber of coach and person that has been added to West Tennessee.”
(Release via Memphis Athletics)
