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DeSean Jackson was officially introduced as Delaware State University's head coach on Wednesday afternoon and he laid out his vision clear and plain. Jackson expects to build a perennial winner at Delaware State while also developing standout young men who want to compete at the next level. However, during a media session after the press conference, Jackson emphasized that he intends to take a different path than other NFL players who have transitioned to college coaching, such as Deion Sanders.
“And I'll tell you this, I know a lot of people say, ‘Coach Prime, Coach Prime.' I respect him. And he's gave us guys like myself an opportunity. I'm going to do it differently than Prime, I'm going to do it the Coach Jackson way.”
When asked if Sanders or new Norfolk State head coach Michael Vick inspired him to step on the sidelines, he made it clear that he gathered his inspiration from another source.
“Not necessarily. I will say, me being able to get inspired from coaching came from having the opportunity to go coach with my older brother, my mentor, Coach Clark. He's been coaching in high school for the past 25 years. And every step of my, my college career and my NFL career, I've always kept an eye on seeing what he, what he's able to install in these young men. And I respected it and what he installed in me. So last year I went and coached with him and I regained a different love for football, like the void that I'm missing of catching touchdowns now.”
Travis Clark, a seasoned high school coach, led the Woodrow Wilson High School football team in Long Beach, California, during the 2024 season. Before stepping into his role as head coach at Delaware State, Clark brought Jackson on board as the offensive coordinator. Now, Clark is set to join Jackson’s staff as an assistant coach, where he’s expected to serve as the former Eagles star’s trusted right-hand man.
Clark talked about getting the call to join Jackson's coaching staff.
“So for me coaching in high school for so long, maybe after year 15 or 17 the dream of coaching collegiately kind of dissipated. It was in the back of my mind because when you do a good job at the high school level, college coaches want you to stay there so they can continue to come back and recruit kids, et cetera. So when DeSean asked me, ‘Hey, if I'm going to Delaware, are you coming with me?' You know, it took about five minutes.”
He continued, “[I] had to talk to my family a little bit. I left a great group of kids at Woodrow Wilson High School behind after a year that they, you know, they're all emotional because we just establish aed great relationship. So I had to deal with that. But I'll do anything with this young man. I've been with him since he's about nine years old and he's my family. And anything that he puts his mind on, I know that he's going to be successful. So when he asked me to come aboard that he needed me here, it wasn't even a hesitation.”
Jackson remained vague about the other coaching hires he plans to add to his staff but emphasized the wealth of experience his team will bring.
“I can't tell you right now, but the guys that we're gonna bring in, these guys have a lot of wisdom. When I tell you it's second to none, these kids are gonna learn and I don't like to call them kids. These young men [are] gonna learn the second degree, the second nature that they probably never have before for it.”
Jackson also has a clear vision for his first season: make an appearance in the Celebraiton Bowl.
“We ain’t waiting. We want to be at the Celebration Bowl this year. We want to win the MEAC this year. Whatever was going on, we can’t do that anymore. We’ve got to move forward and change that, starting on day one.”
He also has an ambitious pitch to recruits that draws parallels to Deion Sanders and will surely help him attract talent to compete in talented MEAC.
“I can give you two things: exposure and publicity. If you want to make it to the NFL, I know what it looks like. But it starts with the little things—academics, integrity, and buying into the system.”
The Hornets under the leadership of DeSean Jackson will look to change the fortunes of the program. The team hasn’t claimed the Mideastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title since 2007 and has struggled mightily to compete. But, with the moves that Jackson is already making and the energy he conveyed in his press conference, the fortunes of Delaware State football could turnaround very soon.
