UCLA assistant coach Tia Jackson has recently been in
communication with USC regarding its vacant women’s
basketball head coaching position, but does not believe she is
among the leading candidates.
Jackson, who is in her fourth year at UCLA, confirmed interest
in the position, but expects USC to go in a different
direction.
“A lot of people have put in a good word for me,”
Jackson said. “I think it’s a position most assistants
would be interested in. But I am under the impression they want to
go with a former coach.”
USC relieved Chris Gobrecht of her head coaching duties on March
17 after a 15-13 season in which the Trojans missed the NCAA
Tournament. Current ESPN analyst Nell Fortner is believed to be the
front-runner for the position.
Jackson, who also serves as UCLA’s recruiting coordinator,
has been approached in the past about head coaching possibilities,
and has made it no secret she would one day like to run her own
program.
“Any opportunity that feels right would be an opportunity
I’d pursue,” Jackson said. “I’m going to go
with my gut instinct.”
Before coming to UCLA, Jackson served as an assistant coach for
two years at Virginia Commonwealth and was an assistant coach for
one year at Stanford. She also played in the WNBA during its
inaugural season in 1997 for the Phoenix Mercury, but her career
was cut short due to injury.
While Jackson is eager to be a head coach someday, she’s
not chomping at the bit, but is instead patiently waiting for the
right situation and the right settings to fall into place.
Financial package, location and type of institution are all factors
Jackson considers when gauging a prospective head coaching job.
“I think Tia would be great running her own program,
she’s got all of the tools,” UCLA head coach Kathy
Olivier said. “But you have to remember, an assistant job at
UCLA is a lot better than some head coaching jobs out there.
She’s just going to wait for the opportunity that fits her
well.”
During her tenure at UCLA, Jackson has established herself as
the Bruins’ top recruiter. Over the past three years, she has
helped successfully lure sophomore Nikki Blue and freshman Noelle
Quinn to Westwood, both of whom are McDonald’s All-Americans
and among the nation’s most coveted recruits.
“(Jackson) played a huge role (in my coming to
UCLA),” said Quinn, the 2004 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year.
“She’s a great role model, and I look up to her.
Without her, I don’t think we would have accomplished as much
as we did last year.”
So while her ears are perked and her eyes open for opportunities
that might seem appealing, Jackson likes her situation at UCLA and
knows that if the call comes to take the next step, she’ll be
ready to answer it.
“I’m waiting on my turn,” Jackson said.
“One day.”