DOVER, Del. -- Delaware State University officially appointed Amber Jackson as its new head softball coach on Wednesday afternoon, the sixth of the program’s history.
Spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at Maryland under now Bethune-Cookman head coach Laura Watten, Jackson fills the void left by reigning MEAC Coach of the Year and DSU Hall-of-Famer Janice Savage, who accepted the head coaching position at Appalachian State over the summer.
“I’m very excited to be back in the MEAC and this position here at Delaware State is pretty much a dream come true,” said Jackson. “It was very unexpected, but God has some interesting plans in store for this program.”
Athletic Director Candy Young, meanwhile, is thrilled about what Jackson will bring to the table both now and for the future of the program.
“We’re real excited that Amber Jackson is here at Delaware State University. She brings such expertise from Division I universities that I think will definitely enhance our program.”
Jackson inherits a DSU team that finished with its best overall record (35-17) since 2004, in addition to a 15-3 MEAC mark en route to clinching the number one overall seed in the conference tournament. Also, the Hornets wrapped up the regular season with the highest RPI ranking out of any team in the MEAC at 158.
The top returnees for the Hornets include juniors Nicole Gazzola, Sandy Hawthorne, Chloe Oro, Rochelle Sablay and Jordan Stamps, along with reigning MEAC Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-MEAC selection Tara Tursellino, who led the country in saves (7).
For Jackson, she is very excited to have this core group players coming back.
“The core group is strong. They are leaders and they really brought along the sophomores and the freshmen,” added Jackson. “They have really accepted me and everything that I’ve brought to the table.”
As a player, Jackson is no stranger to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. For three seasons, Jackson starred as a shortstop for Bethune-Cookman (2002-05) under Watten, earning All-American honors each year, in addition to playing an integral role in the squad’s 2005 NCAA Super Regional’s appearance.
That year, she was named a First Team National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American after batting .455 (fifth-highest in the NCAA Division I ranks), with 14 homers, 68 runs batted in and 33 stolen bases. With these achievements, Jackson was inducted into the Bethune-Cookman Hall-of-Fame in 2012.
Jackson later attended Maryland for her senior season in 2007. During that year, she broke school records with 24 home runs (most in the NCAA), 56 RBI and 55 walks. She was Maryland's second NFCA All-American and was named to the All-ACC First Team, while graduating with her Masters of Education in Human Development.
After her collegiate career, she played three years (2007-09) in the National Pro Fastpitch League for the Washington Glory and USSSA Pride. Her accolades included earning League Player of the Year (2007), League First Team honors (2007, 2009) and was an All Star Team selection (2008).
Jackson’s coaching background, meanwhile, includes two seasons as the head coach at Loudoun County High School (Va.), where she was named Dulles District Head Softball Coach of the Year.