Hue Jackson (born October 22, 1965) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
who is the
head football coach at
Grambling State University
Grambling State University (GSU, Grambling, or Grambling State) is a public historically black university in Grambling, Louisiana. Grambling State is home of the Eddie G. Robinson Museum and is listed on the Louisiana African American Herita ...
. An offensive assistant at both the collegiate and professional levels, he held coordinator positions in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) with the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
in 2003, the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
in 2007, the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
in 2010, and the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
from 2014 to 2015. He also served as the head coach of the Raiders in 2011 and
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
from 2016 to 2018.
Jackson compiled a 3–36–1 record with the Browns, including a winless season in 2017, which is the worst record among coaches who presided over an NFL team for at least 40 games.
Early life and playing career
Jackson, a native of Los Angeles, was a quarterback at
Dorsey High School
Susan Miller Dorsey High School is a high school located in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles, California. It is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. The school serves Baldwin Hills, Baldwin Village, Jefferson Park, West Adams a ...
in his hometown, where he also lettered in basketball. He starred in football at
Glendale (CA) Community College in 1983 and 1984, where he earned his associate degree in 1984.
Jackson played quarterback at
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
in the mid-1980s under
Bob Cope
Bob Cope (November 6, 1936 – August 3, 1997) was an American football coach. In a 32-year career, he served as assistant coach at Vanderbilt, SMU, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Purdue, Pacific, USC, Baylor, and Kansas State. During his career, he c ...
. As a junior, Jackson had 1,595 yards of total offense, including 502 yards rushing, second-most on the team. In his senior season, he passed for 1,455 yards and rushed for 417 yards. As a quarterback at University of the Pacific from 1985 to 1986, Jackson threw for 2,544 yards and 19 touchdowns and the Tigers went 9–14 in Jackson's two seasons. He also lettered in
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
in 1986 and earned his degree in
physical education
Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorat ...
.
Coaching career
College
Jackson began his coaching career in 1987 at Pacific, his alma mater. Jackson spent three years there from 1987 to 1989. From 1990 to 1991, Jackson was the running backs coach and special teams coordinator at
Cal State Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...
. In the spring of 1991, he coached the running backs, receivers and special teams for the
World League’s inaugural year champion
London Monarchs
The London Monarchs were a professional American football team in NFL Europe and its predecessor league, the World League of American Football (WLAF). The Monarchs played their final season in 1998 as the England Monarchs. In 1999, they were r ...
. Later on, he spent four years (1992–1995) at
Arizona State
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
, where he was running backs coach for the first three years (1992–1994), then he handled the Sun Devil quarterbacks in 1995. He led
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
’s high-powered offense in 1996 as its
offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of an American football or Canadian football team who is in charge of the team's offense. Generally, along with the defensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator, this coach re ...
and quarterbacks coach, he helped lead the Golden Bears to an
Aloha Bowl
The Aloha Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision (then known as Division I-A) college football bowl game played in Honolulu, Hawaii at Aloha Stadium.
History
The Aloha Bowl was established in 1982 by Mack ...
berth. Jackson served as
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
's offensive coordinator from 1997 to 2000, helping to recruit and develop players, including quarterback
Carson Palmer
Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at ...
, with whom he was later reunited in Cincinnati and Oakland.
Jackson also held three NFL summer coaching internships, in 1990 with the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
, 1992 with the
Phoenix Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
and 1995 with the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
.
Washington Redskins
From
2001 until
2002, Jackson was the Redskins' running backs coach under
Marty Schottenheimer
Martin Edward Schottenheimer (; September 23, 1943 – February 8, 2021) was an American football linebacker and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1984 to 2006. He was the head coach of the Kansas City ...
and
Steve Spurrier. In 2001, under Jackson's tutelage, running back
Stephen Davis rushed for 1,432 yards, breaking the record he had set in 1999 for most rushing yards in a season by a Redskin. In 2002, Davis was on pace for another 1,000-yard rushing season before suffering a season-ending injury. Jackson was promoted to offensive coordinator in Washington by head coach Steve Spurrier in
2003 and handled the team's offensive play-calling, becoming the only coach to perform that duty other than Spurrier.
Cincinnati Bengals
Jackson was the wide receivers coach for the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
for three seasons. Under Jackson's tutelage in Cincinnati,
Chad Johnson
Chad Ochocinco Johnson (born Chad Javon Johnson; January 9, 1978), known from 2008 to 2012 as Chad Ochocinco, is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football for Santa Monica College and Oregon State University, and pl ...
and
T. J. Houshmandzadeh became one of the most prolific wide-receiving tandems in the NFL. In
2005, the Johnson-Houshmandzadeh tandem combined to total 175 receptions for 2,388 yards, while helping the team secure the
AFC North title and a playoff berth for the first time in 15 years. In
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, Johnson (1,369 yards) and Houshmandzadeh (1,081 yards) became the first pair of Bengals to eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark in a single season. In each of Jackson's three years in Cincinnati, Johnson was named to the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
.
Atlanta Falcons
In
2007, after leaving Cincinnati, Jackson was an NFL offensive coordinator for the second time when he served in that capacity for the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
under
Bobby Petrino
Robert Patrick Petrino (born March 10, 1961) is an American football coach. He currently serves as the Offensive Coordinator for the Texas A&M Aggies. He is the former head coach for the Missouri State Bears. Previously, he served as the head co ...
and interim head coach
Emmitt Thomas
Emmitt Earl Thomas (born June 3, 1943) is a former American football coach and cornerback. He most recently served as the defensive backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played in college at the now def ...
.
Baltimore Ravens
From
2008 until
2009, Jackson was Baltimore's quarterbacks coach under head coach
John Harbaugh
John William Harbaugh (born September 23, 1962) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he coached the defensive backs for the Philadelphia Eagles and served ...
. In 2008, Jackson tutored
Joe Flacco, who became the first rookie quarterback to win two playoff games in NFL history as the Ravens advanced to the AFC Championship game. He helped the Ravens advance to the postseason in both seasons.
Oakland Raiders
In
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, under Jackson's guidance as offensive coordinator, the Raiders' offense finished fourth in the AFC and sixth in the NFL in scoring (25.6 points per game). They also finished fifth in the AFC and 10th in the NFL in total offense (354.6 yards per game), and second in the NFL and AFC in rushing (155.9 yards per game). The Raiders more than doubled their scoring output from the previous year, totaling 410 points. Under Jackson's offense, running back
Darren McFadden
Darren McFadden (born August 27, 1987) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round with the fourth overall pick of the 2008 NFL Dra ...
finished the season with 1,157 yards rushing on 223 carries for a 5.2 average yards/carry and 7 rushing touchdowns. McFadden also had 47 receptions for 507 yards and 3 touchdowns. His end of year numbers were 1,664 total yards and 10 total touchdowns for the 2010 NFL season, making McFadden the NFL's 5th leader in total yards from scrimmage for the 2010 season.
After the 2010 season, Jackson was named
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
head coach in
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, succeeding
Tom Cable
Thomas Lee Cable Jr. (born November 26, 1964) is an American football coach who last was the offensive line coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the Seattle Seahawks assistant head ...
.
Jackson was fired by the Oakland Raiders on January 10, 2012, after one season as head coach, by new general manager
Reggie McKenzie. In his lone season as head coach, the Raiders finished with a record of 8–8 and missed the playoffs after starting the season 7–4.
Second stint with the Cincinnati Bengals
On February 17, 2012, Jackson returned to the Cincinnati Bengals working as an assistant defensive backs coach as well as assisting on special teams. The
Bengals finished 10–6 in 2012 and made the playoffs, losing in the wild card round to the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
on the road. On January 14, 2013, Jackson interviewed for the offensive coordinator position with the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. On January 30, 2013, Jackson became the Bengals running backs coach, replacing the retired Jim Anderson. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in January 2014, replacing
Jay Gruden
Jay Michael Gruden (born March 4, 1967) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is an offensive consultant for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach of the Washington ...
.
Jackson spent seven years with the Bengals.
Cleveland Browns
On January 13, 2016, Jackson was hired as head coach of the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
. On December 18, 2016, Jackson became the first NFL coach since
Rod Marinelli
Rodney Marinelli (born July 13, 1949) is an American football coach. He has been a defensive coach for several college and professional teams, serving primarily as a defensive line coach when he has not been a coordinator. From 2006 until 2008, ...
in 2008 to start a season 0–14. Jackson got his first win with the Browns in a 20–17 victory over the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
on December 24, 2016. The Browns finished the season with a 1–15 record, finishing last in the NFL. The
Browns finished the 2017 season without a single win, making the Browns the second team in league history to finish with a 0–16 record, after the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
in 2008.
On October 29, 2018, the Browns announced that they had fired Jackson, who had amassed a record of 3–36–1 during his tenure with the team, including a 2–5–1 start to the 2018 season.
He also never won a road game during his tenure with Cleveland (0-20).
Third stint with the Cincinnati Bengals
On November 12, 2018, Jackson joined the Cincinnati Bengals coaching staff in an unspecified role. The following day, it was confirmed that he would serve as an assistant to head coach
Marvin Lewis
Marvin Ronald Lewis (born September 23, 1958) is an American football coach who is the special advisor to the head coach at Arizona State. Previously, Lewis was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League (NFL) for 1 ...
. On January 11, 2019, Jackson was released by the Bengals.
Post-Cleveland Browns
On November 14, 2019, it was reported that Jackson would lead the drills during the NFL sanctioned workout for free agent quarterback
Colin Kaepernick
Colin Rand Kaepernick ( ; born November 3, 1987) is an American civil rights activist and football quarterback who is a free agent. He played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). In 2016, he knelt du ...
on November 16, 2019. However, on November 16, the location of the workout was changed and Jackson was unable to oversee the event.
On March 29, 2021, in an interview with
850 ESPN Cleveland, Jackson stated he was writing a book about his time with the Cleveland Browns, which would be released later in the year. He said that he was "lied to" by Browns owner
Jimmy Haslam
James Arthur Haslam III (born March 9, 1954) is an American businessman and sports executive. He is the chairman of the board of the Pilot Flying J truck stop chain. He and his wife Dee own the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League ...
regarding the state of the franchise and the team's impending rebuild that took place following his firing. He also said he received a one-year contract extension halfway through
the Browns' 0-16 campaign in 2017 that the team decided not to make public. In early 2022, after former Miami Dolphins coach
Brian Flores
Brian Francisco Flores (born February 24, 1981) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL career with the New England Patriots, where he serve ...
said that Miami's owner paid him to lose games, Jackson made similar allegations against Browns owner Jimmy Haslam.
Tennessee State Tigers
On April 15, 2021, Jackson joined
Tennessee State's coaching staff as the new offensive coordinator for the 2021 season, under new coach
Eddie George
Edward Nathan George Jr. (born September 24, 1973) is an American football coach and former player who is the current head coach at Tennessee State. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, primarily f ...
. The Tigers finished with a 5–6 record and an average of 19.7 points per game for the 2021 season.
Grambling State Tigers
On December 10, 2021, Jackson was hired to be the 14th head coach of the
Grambling State Tigers
The Grambling State Tigers and Lady Tigers represent Grambling State University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics. Grambling's sports teams participate in Division I (I-FCS for football) as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). ...
. It marks his first time serving as a head coach in college football.
Head coaching record
NFL
College
Personal life
Jackson and his wife, Michelle, have three daughters.
References
External links
Tennessee State profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Hue
1965 births
Living people
American football quarterbacks
Arizona State Sun Devils football coaches
Atlanta Falcons coaches
Baltimore Ravens coaches
Cal State Fullerton Titans football coaches
California Golden Bears football coaches
Cleveland Browns coaches
Cleveland Browns head coaches
Cincinnati Bengals coaches
Glendale Vaqueros football players
London Monarchs coaches
National Football League offensive coordinators
NFL Europe (WLAF) coaches
Oakland Raiders coaches
Oakland Raiders head coaches
Pacific Tigers football coaches
Pacific Tigers football players
Tennessee State Tigers football coaches
USC Trojans football coaches
Washington Redskins coaches
Susan Miller Dorsey High School alumni
Coaches of American football from California
Players of American football from Los Angeles
Sports coaches from Los Angeles
African-American coaches of American football
African-American players of American football
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American sportspeople