Bruce Jackson named Saint Martin’s head track & field and cross country coach

The Saint Martin’s University athletic department announced Wednesday the hiring of Bruce Jackson as the new head track and field and cross country coach. His first day as a Saint will be Monday, July 20.

Jackson comes to Saint Martin’s with seven years of experience in collegiate coaching, most recently serving as the assistant cross country and track and field coach at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for the past two seasons.

“Following a highly competitive national search, we are thrilled to welcome Coach Bruce Jackson as our new head coach for track and field and cross country,” Saint Martin’s Director of Athletics Theresa Hanson said in a release. “As Saints athletics transitions to a new leadership model for our track and field and cross country program, Coach Jackson brings the exact combination of vision and experience, and shares our commitment to developing well-rounded student athletes. We’re confident this is the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our program.”

Before joining UNC Greensboro, Jackson spent five years at Academy of Art University, first as a volunteer assistant in 2019 and director of operations from 2019 to 2021 before being promoted to head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach in the fall of 2021. During his tenure, he coached athletes in the middle and distance events while helping guide the Urban Knights to multiple top-10 NCAA Division II team finishes, numerous All-America honors and national championship qualifiers. He was named the 2021 PacWest Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year after leading Academy of Art to the conference championship in his first season at the helm.

Throughout Jackson’s collegiate coaching career, Jackson has mentored dozens of NCAA national qualifiers, All-Americans and conference champions while establishing himself as one of the top middle-distance and distance coaches in the country. At UNC Greensboro, he served as the program’s lead recruiter. Jackson brings experience in coaching, recruiting, travel planning, purchasing, budget, and meet and equipment management.

Prior to coaching at the collegiate level, Jackson coached seven seasons at Poway High School in Poway, California, where the boys cross country team made the state finals in 2015, 2016 and 2018. The 2016 team won the CIF San Diego Section Division 2 championship and placed 10th in the state. The girls cross country team made the state finals in 2012, 2013 and 2018, finishing as CIF San Diego Section Division 2 runners-up in 2013 and 2018.

In track and field, Poway earned CIF San Diego Section Division I championship titles in 2013 and 2014 and saw runner-up finishes in 2016 and 2017. Poway placed 10th in the California state meet in 2014. The girls track and field team saw improved placement at the CIF San Diego Section Division I championships every season and saw consecutive third-place finishes at the championships in 2017 and 2018.

As a student athlete, Jackson competed at the University of Washington, earning NCAA Division I All-America honors as part of the Huskies’ distance medley relay and 4x400-meter relay teams. He later claimed a USATF Club national championship in the 800 meters in 2007 and qualified for the USATF Indoor National Championships in 2007 and 2008. Jackson earned bachelor’s degrees in sociology and law, society and justice from Washington before receiving his Juris Doctor from Cooley Law School.

“I’m privileged and blessed to have been given the opportunity to guide this group of young men and women,” Jackson said in a release. “I want to thank President William Brownsberger and Director of Athletics Theresa Hanson for their trust and belief in my ability to help contribute to the overall vision of Saint Martin’s University athletics.

“I’m not at this point without guidance along the way. I appreciate the time spent with Coach Kaleigh Roach and the rest of the staff at UNCG,” he continued. “Her belief in me and willingness to let me flourish over these past two years has me ready to establish a tradition of excellence at Saint Martin’s. I look forward to my arrival in Lacey and getting to work with a receptive group of student athletes this fall.”