Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- jacksond6@xavier.edu
- Phone:
- 513.745.3766
Richard Pitino hired Dante Jackson from the previous Xavier staff. Jackson, who is entering his in his eighth year as a Xavier Assistant Coach, was a graduate assistant coach on the Xavier staff from 2012-14 and was hired as a full-time XU assistant in 2018.
Jackson played in four NCAA Tournaments as a Musketeer player, including an Elite Eight and two Sweet 16s. He played his first two seasons under Sean Miller, helping XU reach the 2008 Elite Eight and the 2009 NCAA Sweet 16. He played his final two seasons under Chris Mack, helping XU reach another Sweet 16 in 2010 and the NCAA Second Round in 2011.
Jackson helped lead Xavier to one of the top five winningest seasons in school history in 2023, tying the school record for BIG EAST wins in a season and leading the Musketeers to the 2023 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
Jackson returned to Xavier under former head coach Travis Steele after stops as a full-time assistant at nearby Northern Kentucky (2015-16), Air Force (2016-17), Robert Morris (2017-18) and a brief stint at Kent State. Prior to his graduate assistant stop at Xavier, Jackson started his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant for one season (2011-12) under then-Ohio University head coach John Groce, who is now the head coach at Akron. The Bobcats finished with an overall record of 29-8 that season, won the 2012 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament title and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
Jackson, who was born in Columbus, Ohio and raised in Greenfield, Ohio, is a 2011 graduate of Xavier University with a bachelor of arts degree in liberal arts. He earned his master’s degree in sport administration from Xavier in 2014. The Musketeers finished in third place in their first season as a member of the BIG EAST with an overall record of 21-13 in the 2013-14 season, including a 10-8 conference mark, and earned an at-large berth to the 2014 NCAA Tournament in Jackson’s final season as a graduate assistant.
Jackson concluded his playing career with the Musketeers with 107 victories, including seven in the NCAA Tournament. The 107 wins are just one shy of the school record held by Jason Love. A three-year starter at Xavier, he posted career totals of 795 points, 374 rebounds and 255 assists. Jackson shared the school record for games played with 137 until 2018 graduates Trevon Bluiett and J.P. Macura took over the top two spots in the 2017-18 season. Jackson appeared in the NCAA Tournament in each of his four years as a player, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2008, the Sweet 16 in both 2009 and 2010 and the second round in 2011.
Jackson has a 14-year-old daughter, Alaya.
