Sources: N’western targets Villanova AD Jackson

Pete Thamel, ESPNAug 28, 2024, 07:12 PM ET Northwestern is targeting Villanova athletic director Mark Jackson as the school’s brand-new athletic director, sources told ESPN.Jackson has emerged from a field of three finalists, and a deal is anticipated to come together in the near future, sources said.Jackson would

take over for Derrick Gragg, who was reassigned in June. He is set to end up being the third athletic director for the school given that Jim Phillips left to accept the ACC Commissioner task in December of 2020.

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Jackson brings substantial experience in the athletic director’s chair and in the football area. Villanova won 2 nationwide titles in basketball during Jackson’s 9 years as AD. He developed a reputation there as a strong charity event and an administrator efficient in leading considerable facility projects.Jackson also brings substantial NFL and college football experience. That includes football oversight at both Syracuse and USC during his stints in the athletic departments there.Before Villanova, Jackson worked as the senior associate director of sports and chief development officer at USC. He worked closely with the football program there and assisted with the remodelling of the Los Angeles Coliseum.Jackson also worked for the then-Oakland Raiders as the organization’s director of football advancement.

He has strong ties Pete Carroll, who he worked for at the New England Patriots and along with at USC.Northwestern spent much of last season dealing with the reverberations of the shooting of coach Pat Fitzgerald in the wake of hazing accusations within

the program. Interim coach David Braun made the permanent job by going 8-5 and keeping the program together.Also looming at Northwestern is a stadium overhaul of Ryan Field that has Northwestern playing some home games in a makeshift stadium this year.