William "Sonny" Jackson (September 24, 1938 – July 10, 2021) was an American

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

coach. He served as the head football coach at

Nicholls State University Nicholls State University is a public university in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Founded in 1948, Nicholls is part of the University of Louisiana System. Originally named Francis T. Nicholls Junior College, the university is named for Francis T. Nicholl ...

from 1981 to 1986 and at

McNeese State University McNeese State University is a public university in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Founded in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College, it was renamed McNeese Junior College after John McNeese, an early local educator. The present name was adopted in 1970. ...

from 1987 to 1989.

Coaching career

High School career

Prior to his college coaching career, Jackson was an assistant coach and later head football coach at St. Joseph Benedictine High School in

Chauvin, Louisiana Chauvin is a census-designated place (CDP) in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,575 in 2020.. It is part of the Houma– Bayou Cane–Thibodaux metropolitan statistical area. Geography Chauvin is located at (29.44 ...

. He was also head coach at Central High School in

Central, Louisiana Central is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, second largest city in East Baton Rouge Parish, and part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area. The state's newest incorporated city in April 2005, Central had a 2020 census population ...

College career

Jackson was an assistant coach at

Northeast Louisiana University The University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) is a public university in Monroe, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System. History ULM opened in 1931 as Ouachita Parish Junior College. Three years later it became the Northeast Cen ...

for two seasons from 1979 to 1980. In 1981, Jackson was hired for his first college head coaching position at his alma mater,

. He coached the Colonels for six seasons through 1986 and compiled a record of 39 wins, 28 losses and 1 tie. In 1986, he guided Nicholls State to its first appearance in the

NCAA Division I-AA playoffs The NCAA Division I Football Championship is an annual post-season college football game, played since 2006, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). From 1978 to 2005, the game was k ...

and led the team to their first playoff win. From 1987 to 1989, Jackson was head football coach at

and compiled a record of 13–20. He had a career

coaching record of 52 wins, 48 losses and 1 tie in his nine seasons as a head coach.

Personal life

Jackson was a 1963 graduate of

. His son, Hud Jackson, is also a college football head coach. He died on July 10, 2021.

Head coaching record

College

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Sonny 1938 births 2021 deaths Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks football coaches McNeese Cowboys football coaches Nicholls Colonels football coaches High school football coaches in Louisiana Nicholls State University alumni