Jackson elevated to head football coach at West Greene
West Greene assistant coach Beau Jackson talks with the Pioneers无毛视频� linemen during practice last season. Jackson has moved up into the head coaching position for the Pioneers after the departure of Brian Hanson to South Allegheny. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Beau Jackson
Beau Jackson knew the time was right for him.
When Brian Hanson decided to take the head football coaching position at South Allegheny High School last month, Jackson found an opportunity to add something to his bucket list.
Jackson became the new head coach at his alma mater, West Greene, where he and his twin brother, Bray, played together on the same football field, where his brother Benjamin ran like no other tailback in the school无毛视频檚 history, and where his father, Brian, is superintendent in the school district after walking the sidelines as head coach at one time.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e always wanted to be head coach at West Greene,无毛视频� said Jackson. 无毛视频淚 grew up here and I went to school here. So a natural fit would be a good way to describe it.无毛视频�
The 25-year-old Jackson spent three seasons as defensive coordinator and one season as the head coach of the junior high team.
无毛视频淚 also spent my whole teaching career here,无毛视频� said Jackson.
Coming off a 2-8 season, Jackson has his sights set on the offseason workouts. He will be looking for two characteristics in his players.
无毛视频淚 think for any team to have success, and especially for us, the two things we无毛视频檙e going to need are dedication and leadership,无毛视频� said Jackson. 无毛视频淪o I无毛视频檓 really going to turn to this senior group and lean on them and, hopefully, they can show a good attitude and good leadership. That kind of ties right in with dedication because I don无毛视频檛 think you can be a good leader without dedication.无毛视频�
All eyes will again be on tailback Colin Brady.
Brady, who will be a senior this upcoming season, rushed for 1,897 yards and had 2,132 total yards last season, an average of 237 yards per game. He also scored 27 total touchdowns.
Lane Allison, who heads into his junior season at quarterback, only threw for 580 yards on 80 attempts as he settled into the position last season. He completed 43 percent of his passes and threw for six touchdowns.
无毛视频淭he running game didn无毛视频檛 transfer into wins. No,无毛视频� said Jackson. 无毛视频淲hen you talk about the team, the defense was really poor last year. That无毛视频檚 one thing we have to work on. The running game wasn无毛视频檛 an issue at all but we无毛视频檙e going to try to dress things up, maybe protect players a little bit better and develop a passing game around that.无毛视频�
Billy Simms, the athletic director at West Greene, is optimistic about the job Jackson can do.
无毛视频淗e was a good player for us,无毛视频� Simms said. 无毛视频淗e went to Waynesburg University and played some. He无毛视频檚 always been a student of the game. With this team, he coached them when they were in the seventh and eighth grade. That gives him a leg up on knowing this set of kids real well. And I think he benefited working under Mr. Hanson, too.无毛视频�
Jackson must still fill out his staff but don无毛视频檛 expect twin brother Bray to be on it right away. He is working in Mechanicsburg and is committed for a couple years.