New Alabama A&M head coach Donte Jackson was honest in his explanation of why he let Grambling State to coach Alabama A&M. Jackson found success with the Tigers, although his team struggled in the 2024 season. Per comments by the new Bulldog's hoops coach in the Monday edition of the Ruston Daily Reader, he walked through his decision to leave.

“They’re doing some things when it comes to the resources they have and what they’re trying to build up. That’s the name of the game now. Kids want to be paid and it’s not as much about the other stuff like it was. The dynamic is changing. That’s not to say GSU wasn’t willing to do it.”

Per Jackson, the institution spoke about NIL, but it wasn't clear on their future plans in the arena.

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“It was described to me that, ‘Oh, well we’re doing a study, and we’ll see what we can do.’ But to be honest, I don’t know what it looked like going forward. I never got an exact answer on how that would work. It was up in the air.”

Jackson is one of the most high-profile coaches in HBCU basketball, most recently achieving success by leading Grambling State to the SWAC Championship in 2024 and securing a First Four victory over Montana State to earn a spot in March Madness. Over seven seasons at Grambling State, he compiled a 120-102 record and guided the team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in over 30 years with the 2024 SWAC Tournament Championship. While their season ended against Purdue in the first round of the March Madness tournament, Grambling defended former Purdue center Zach Edey well and stayed competitive in the game throughout the first half.

Jackson’s second season was historic for Stillman College. The Tigers finished with a 27-6 record, captured the 2016 SIAC Championship Tournament title, and earned a spot in the NCAA tournament, where they secured a first-round victory over West Georgia. Jackson's exceptional leadership earned him SIAC Coach of the Year and BOXTOROW National Coach of the Year honors. That season, his team also produced the SIAC Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.

Now, Jackson looks to take over an Alabama A&M team that finished 10-22 on the season with a 6-12 record in conference. Immediate success for the Bulldogs is possible, as women's basketball coach Dawn Thornton showcased in the 2024 season. The former University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff coach led the team to a 21-11 record (14-4 in conference) as well as a bid in the Women's National Invitational Tournament.