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After a few days of speculation, Tremaine Jackson addressed his name being linked to the vacant UAB coaching position on Monday’s SWAC Coaches Call after the program fired Trent Dilfer. Jackson is coming off of a huge victory over Southern University on Saturday, virtually opening up the team’s path to a division title and an apperance in the the SWAC Championship game. But, all attention was on his thoughts on the speculation into his candidacy. Jackson didn’t mince words, saying, “People that are really inside of our business know that it’s not even that time yet. October ain’t that time. Not with jobs on that level. There are a lot of guys’ names who came out on that deal. We’re flattered, but it has no bearing on what we’re trying to get done. It’s not going to be the last time we come out on a list.” Jackson maintained that his focus is on his team and his Panthers are looking towards their matchup against Lincoln Universitiy of California on Saturday. “Our guys are focused on keeping the main thing, the main thing, as are our coaches and as am I. You’re a loser if nobody’s talking about you or you haven’t positioned your career to be at places where people talk about you. We take great pride in it, but I’m proud of our players for not even dealing with that and going forward.” Before Prairie View A&M, Jackson was the head coach of Valdosta State. He was the first black coach of the D2 power and led the program to great heights in his three seasons with the program. Under his leadership, the Blazers advanced through the playoffs last season with commanding wins, including defeats of HBCU powerhouses Miles College and Virginia Union en route to the national championship. In his last game with the program, Valdosta State lost to Ferris State in the D2 National Championship. Known for his defensive expertise, Jackson first made his mark as a player and coach at Texas Southern University, where he was part of the Tigers’ 2010 SWAC Championship team. That year, Texas Southern led the nation in total defense, sacks, and tackles for loss—setting the stage for Jackson’s coaching rise. Jackson’s Panthers host Lincoln University of California for Prairie View A&M’s homecoming game on Saturday at 3 PM EST.
