STARKVILLE — Dionnah Jackson understands what goes into being a “master teacher.”
Jackson earned that distinction when she was a player for coach Sherri Coale at Oklahoma. Coale bestowed that title on her players when they earned the responsibility to be instructors at the women’s basketball team’s camp.
Now Jackson hopes her decision to join Vic Schaefer’s coaching staff at Mississippi State will help her continue on the path so she ultimately will be recognized as a “master coach.”
“It takes that same energy and that same effort (to be a master coach that it takes to become a master teacher),” said Jackson, who was officially introduced to the media Thursday afternoon at Humphrey Coliseum. “I remember the first time I was a ‘master teacher.’ It was something I really, really wanted. Coach Coale prepared me for it. I think it involves attention to detail. The same effort that you give to each one of the players in camp you give it to each one of your players at this level.”
Jackson was an All-America point guard at Oklahoma. She parlayed that into a professional career that included stops in the WNBA and in Europe and a coaching career that saw her work as an assistant at Southeast Missouri State and at George Mason. At MSU, Jackson takes the place of assistant coach Aqua Franklin, who left to become an associate head coach at Kansas. Jackson will work with MSU’s guards, just like Franklin. Schaefer said Thursday that Jackson also will aid in the program’s recruiting efforts. He believes she will shine in every area.
“I think she is everything I was looking for,” Schaefer said. “I am really proud of my patience. I took three months. I typically am not very patient. I took three months in trying to identify and find the fit that we needed. Anybody who knows me after three years and knows my staff, we truly are family. It is an atmosphere I really feel is necessary for us to be successful, not just with our players, but with our staff. It was important I find that person who could really fit with the staff I have, and I think Dionnah is going to be great in that manner.”
Schaefer said finding the right fit on the coaching staff and with the players was the most important aspect of filling the vacancy on his coaching staff. He said it also was important that Jackson be able to be a mentor and role model for all his players, especially his point guards.
Jackson recalls playing against Schaefer’s defenses when he was an associate head coach at Texas A&M, which used to be a Big 12 Conference rival of Oklahoma. She said she enjoys defense, too, which made Schaefer, whose nickname is “Secretary of Defense,” smile. She said she couldn’t pass up a chance to learn from Schaefer and to join a staff that includes associate head coach Johnnie Harris and has developed a reputation for building a program based on family.
“Coach Schaefer has a lot of energy, and you can see his passion for the game in his players,” Jackson said. “He is a great man, and in this business it is always about the people. If you can find the right people to be around, it makes every day great. Even though it sounds a little cliche, it is really about the people you work with.”
NOTE: Schaefer said Thursday that sophomore point guard Morgan William has been named captain for the 2015-16 team. Last season, MSU didn’t have a captain on a team that set school records for wins in a season (27) and in the Southeastern Conference (11) in advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. It was MSU’s first NCAA tournament appearance since 2009-10. William is the first captain MSU has had with Schaefer as its coach. “Up until now, I am not sure I felt like I was comfortable with someone who could wear that,” Schaefer said. “With Morgan, I really feel like she can do that. I think she commands your respect. I think her teammates respect her on and off the court for what she does and how she handles herself. Morgan has earned that right to be our captain.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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