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Date Posted: 11:07:18 04/24/02 Wed
Author: Jon Ralston
Subject: News from the press conference
In reply to: Jon Ralston 's message, "It's Jackson" on 08:47:09 04/23/02 Tue

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Originally Published Wednesday, April 24, 2002
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Tigers have new coach's back

By Bob Highfill

Record Staff Writer

Craig Jackson was the popular choice.

On Tuesday, he became University of the Pacific's official choice to take over the women's basketball team.

Jackson, 32, received a warm ovation from about two dozen boosters, administrators, staff and coaches at an afternoon on-campus press conference, where athletic director Lynn King named the former Tigers assistant the program's seventh head coach in 26 years.

''I'm pretty excited,'' said Jackson, the top assistant on Sherri Murrell's staff the past four seasons. ''I stayed at Pacific (after Murrell resigned in March for Washington State) because of the type of people we have here. This is where I wanted to stay. I'm excited about where we can go.''

Few were as excited Tuesday as sophomore center Gillian d'Hondt and junior forward Ahshalic Johnson, who attended the press conference and served on the selection committee.

''We were able to see what Craig could do, and we wanted everyone else to see that, too,'' Johnson said. ''Craig was more than willing and capable to take us to the next level.''

Jackson was one of four candidates interviewed the past two weeks. UC Santa Barbara associate head coach Cori Close received an offer Friday but chose to stay with the Gauchos. King selected Jackson on Sunday, and on Monday, he announced his decision in front of the team during a weight training session.

''I actually cried tears of joy when Lynn told us,'' said d'Hondt, the lone underclassmen named first-team All-Big West last season. ''Everybody jumped up and hugged and tackled him.''

Jackson was the only assistant who didn't leave with Murrell. He worked with the players and tried to maintain some continuity during the search process.

''I didn't see it as much as a risk as I did a great opportunity,'' Jackson said. ''(Murrell) let me be involved in the entire program, and that allowed me to give the kids the opportunity to see what I had to offer.''

Jackson will add up to three assistants over the course of the next few weeks. The Tigers will be heavy with juniors and seniors next season, with 12 players returning and two already signed. Jackson said he has one more scholarship available for ''the right player.''

d'Hondt and Johnson said if a coach from outside the program had been hired, the transition would have been more difficult.

''We're not young, and we didn't want to start over,'' Johnson said. ''We have a lot of room for improvement, but there are a lot of things we're really good at. We didnt' want there to be a chance for a downfall. We had to be open to change, but we really wanted Craig here.''

Pacific has won 17 or more games each of the past three seasons and advanced to the championship game of the Big West Tournament last season for the first time in six years.

The Tigers' nonconference schedule for 2002-03 includes games with three former national champions: Purdue (1999), Texas Tech ('93) and Stanford ('90, '92), as well as Kentucky, and a tournament with St. Bonaventure and Washington.

Jackson hasn't yet moved into his roomier office, but he's updated his answering machine.

''Hello, this is Craig Jackson, head women's basketball coach at the University of the Pacific ...''

* To reach reporter Bob Highfill, phone 546-8299 or e-mail bhighfil@recordnet.com

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