West Bladen High graduate Brett Jackson is the new athletic director at the school.
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Once a Knight, always a Knight.
The allure of coming back to his “home school” has brought Brett Jackson back to West Bladen High School as the athletic director.
“It means a lot being that it was a school I attended and graduated from,” said Jackson, a 2014 West Bladen graduate. “I was really involved in high school in athletics and being able to go back and be a part of that again is something that I’ve been looking forward to. I call it my home school.
“The chance to go back and make an impact at (West Bladen) that impacted me means a lot.”
Jackson, who is 29, replaces interim AD Brian McCleney, who took over for Travis Pait in January. Pait, the varsity boys’ basketball coach, and McCleney, who coaches cross country and golf and is an assistant in boys’ basketball, are remaining in those coaching roles. Jackson also will be the varsity boys’ soccer coach, replacing Kristen Parker, who will remain as the varsity girls’ soccer coach.
Jackson taught at Tar Heel School the past six years where he was the athletic director. He coached boys’ soccer for six years (44-5 record with three unbeaten seasons) and girls’ soccer for five years. He also coached boys’ basketball for two years and baseball for one year.
“I want to give students the same opportunity and experience that I had in high school,” Jackson said.
Jackson played soccer and golf, kicked for the football team and kept statistics for the basketball team as a student at West Bladen.
“There are quite a few coaches that are still (at West Bladen) from when I was in school,” Jackson said. “I’m excited to work with the coaches that I had deep respect for as a player now getting to see the other side of it as an athletic director and coach. I think it’s going to be a good thing.”
Jackson has seen first hand as a player and coach the importance athletics can play in developing high school students.
“Academics, obviously, is the most important thing and the big focus,” he said, “but I’ve seen it throughout my career at the middle school level that students that participate in athletics are much more likely to succeed in the classroom. It gives them leadership skills and all kinds of things to help them become better students and, essentially, become better people and better adults.”
Jackson received his bachelor’s degree in education from UNC Pembroke.
Sonny Jones can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @FOSonnyJones.