Feb. 21, 2003

Mark Jackson joins the Duquesne University baseball coaching staff as an assistant for the 2003 season, assuming the Dukes pitching and defensive coaching responsibilities.

Jackson made a name for himself in the Pittsburgh area as the skipper of Point Park College from 1984-90. During that time, he guided the Pioneers to the NAIA World Series four times, including a third place finish in 1986. His 1990 club owns the distinction of the longest consecutive winning streak at any college level with 41 wins in a row. He was also a finalist in 1986 for the NAIA Coach of the Year.

After making Point Park one of the most respected and recognized NAIA baseball programs in the nation, Jackson accepted the head coaching position at the University of Pittsburgh in 1991 and turned that program around as well. In seven seasons with the Panthers, he accumulated 183 victories and led the team to its first Big East regular season crown in 1994 and its first Big East Tournament Championship in 1995, which included an NCAA berth.

In 1998, Jackson returned for a second stint with Point Park and posted a 46-6-2 record while taking the Pioneers to the World Series for the first time since 1991. At the conclusion of the season, Jackson was recognized by his peers by being named the American Baseball Coaches Association Northeast Region Coach of the Year. In 2001, he led the team to the American Mideast Conference Championship and was named the AMC Coach of the Year.

The Dukes open the 2003 campaign today at 3:00 pm as they travel to seventh-ranked (Collegiate Baseball) South Carolina for the first of three games with the Gamecocks.