This is an accepted version of this page
_(cropped).jpg) Jackson with the Browns in 2017 | |
| Georgia State Panthers | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | (1965-10-22)October 22, 1965 (age 59) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Susan Miller Dorsey (Los Angeles, California) |
| College: | Pacific |
| Career history | |
As a coach: | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | NFL: 11–44–1 (.205) |
| Career: | NFL: 11–44–1 (.205) NCAA: 8–14 (.364) |
| Coaching profile atPro Football Reference | |
Hue Jackson (born October 22, 1965) is anAmerican football coach who is the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach atGeorgia State University, a position he has held since 2024. An offensive assistant at both the collegiate and professional levels, he held coordinator positions in theNational Football League (NFL) with theWashington Redskins in 2003, theAtlanta Falcons in 2007, theOakland Raiders in 2010, and theCincinnati Bengals from 2014 to 2015.[1] He also served as thehead coach of the Raiders in 2011 andCleveland Browns from 2016 to 2018.[2] Jackson compiled a 3–36–1 record with the Browns, including a winless season in 2017, which is the worst record among coaches who presided over an NFL team for at least 40 games.[3][4] He later returned to coaching at theHBCU level, where he spent a season atTennessee State University, and was the head coach atGrambling State University from 2022 to 2023.[5]
Jackson, a native of Los Angeles, was a quarterback atDorsey High School in his hometown, where he also lettered in basketball.[6] He starred in football atGlendale (CA) Community College in 1983 and 1984, where he earned his associate degree in 1984.[7]
Jackson played quarterback atPacific in the mid-1980s underBob Cope.[8] As a junior, Jackson had 1,595 yards of total offense, including 502 yards rushing, second-most on the team. In his senior season, he passed for 1,455 yards and rushed for 417 yards. As a quarterback at University of the Pacific from 1985 to 1986, Jackson threw for 2,544 yards and 19 touchdowns and the Tigers went 9–14 in Jackson's two seasons. He also lettered inbasketball in 1986 and earned his degree inphysical education.[9]
Jackson began his coaching career in 1987 at Pacific, his alma mater. Jackson spent three years there from 1987 to 1989.[10] From 1990 to 1991, Jackson was the running backs coach and special teams coordinator atCal State Fullerton.[11] In the spring of 1991, he coached the running backs, receivers and special teams for theWorld League’s inaugural year championLondon Monarchs.[12] Later on, he spent four years (1992–1995) atArizona State, where he was running backs coach for the first three years (1992–1994), then he handled the Sun Devil quarterbacks in 1995.[13] He ledCalifornia’s high-powered offense in 1996 as itsoffensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, he helped lead the Golden Bears to anAloha Bowl berth.[14] Jackson served asUniversity of Southern California's offensive coordinator from 1997 to 2000, helping to recruit and develop players, including quarterbackCarson Palmer, with whom he was later reunited in Cincinnati and Oakland.[15][16]
Jackson also held three NFL summer coaching internships, in 1990 with theLos Angeles Rams, 1992 with thePhoenix Cardinals and 1995 with theWashington Redskins.
From2001 until2002, Jackson was the Redskins' running backs coach underMarty Schottenheimer andSteve Spurrier.[17][18] In 2001, under Jackson's tutelage, running backStephen Davis rushed for 1,432 yards, breaking the record he had set in 1999 for most rushing yards in a season by a Redskin.[19] In 2002, Davis was on pace for another 1,000-yard rushing season before suffering a season-ending injury.[20] Jackson was promoted to offensive coordinator in Washington by Spurrier in2003 and handled the team's offensive play-calling, becoming the only coach to perform that duty other than the head coach.[21]
Jackson was the wide receivers coach for theCincinnati Bengals for three seasons. Under Jackson's tutelage in Cincinnati,Chad Johnson andT. J. Houshmandzadeh became one of the most prolific wide-receiving tandems in the NFL. In2005, the Johnson-Houshmandzadeh tandem combined to total 175 receptions for 2,388 yards, while helping the team secure theAFC North title and a playoff berth for the first time in 15 years.[22] In2006, Johnson (1,369 yards) and Houshmandzadeh (1,081 yards) became the first pair of Bengals to eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark in a single season.[23] In each of Jackson's three years in Cincinnati, Johnson was named to thePro Bowl.[24][25]
In2007, after leaving Cincinnati, Jackson was an NFL offensive coordinator for the second time when he served in that capacity for theAtlanta Falcons underBobby Petrino and interim head coachEmmitt Thomas.[26]
From2008 until2009, Jackson was Baltimore's quarterbacks coach under head coachJohn Harbaugh.[27] In 2008, Jackson tutoredJoe Flacco, who became the first rookie quarterback to win two playoff games in NFL history as the Ravens advanced to the AFC Championship game. He helped the Ravens advance to the postseason in both seasons.[28]
In2010, under Jackson's guidance as offensive coordinator, the Raiders' offense finished fourth in the AFC and sixth in the NFL in scoring (25.6 points per game). They also finished fifth in the AFC and 10th in the NFL in total offense (354.6 yards per game), and second in the NFL and AFC in rushing (155.9 yards per game).[29] The Raiders more than doubled their scoring output from the previous year, totaling 410 points. Under Jackson's offense, running backDarren McFadden finished the season with 1,157 yards rushing on 223 carries for a 5.2 average yards/carry and 7 rushing touchdowns. McFadden also had 47 receptions for 507 yards and 3 touchdowns. His end of year numbers were 1,664 total yards and 10 total touchdowns for the 2010 NFL season, making McFadden the NFL's 5th leader in total yards from scrimmage for the 2010 season.[30][31]
After the 2010 season, Jackson was named head coach of theOakland Raiders in2011, succeedingTom Cable.[32] Jackson was fired by the Raiders on January 10, 2012, after one season as head coach, by new general managerReggie McKenzie. In his lone season as head coach, the Raiders finished with a record of 8–8 and missed the playoffs after starting the season 7–4.[33]
On February 17, 2012, Jackson returned to the Cincinnati Bengals working as an assistant defensive backs coach as well as assisting on special teams.[34] TheBengals finished 10–6 in 2012 and made the playoffs, losing in the wild card round to theHouston Texans on the road.[35] On January 14, 2013, Jackson interviewed for the offensive coordinator position with theCarolina Panthers.[36] On January 30, 2013, Jackson became the Bengals running backs coach, replacing the retired Jim Anderson.[37] He was promoted to offensive coordinator in January 2014, replacingJay Gruden.[38] Jackson spent seven years with the Bengals.[39]
On January 13, 2016, Jackson was hired as head coach of theCleveland Browns.[40] On December 18, 2016, Jackson became the first NFL coach sinceRod Marinelli in 2008 to start a season 0–14. Jackson got his first win with the Browns in a 20–17 victory over theSan Diego Chargers on December 24, 2016.[41] The Browns finished the season with a 1–15 record, finishing last in the NFL. TheBrowns finished the 2017 season without a single win, making the Browns the second team in league history to finish with a 0–16 record, after theDetroit Lions in 2008.[42]
On October 29, 2018, the Browns announced that they had fired Jackson, who had amassed a record of 3–36–1 during his tenure with the team, including a 2–5–1 start to the 2018 season.[3] He also never won a road game during his tenure with Cleveland (0-20).
On November 12, 2018, Jackson joined the Cincinnati Bengals coaching staff in an unspecified role. The following day, it was confirmed that he would serve as an assistant to head coachMarvin Lewis.[43][44] On January 11, 2019, Jackson was released by the Bengals.[45]
On November 14, 2019, it was reported that Jackson would lead the drills during the NFL sanctioned workout for free agent quarterbackColin Kaepernick on November 16, 2019.[46] However, on November 16, the location of the workout was changed and Jackson was unable to oversee the event.[47]
On March 29, 2021, in an interview with850 ESPN Cleveland, Jackson stated he was writing a book about his time with the Cleveland Browns, which would be released later in the year. He said that he was "lied to" by Browns ownerJimmy Haslam regarding the state of the franchise and the team's impending rebuild that took place following his firing. He also said he received a one-year contract extension halfway throughthe Browns' 0-16 campaign in 2017 that the team decided not to make public.[48] In early 2022, after former Miami Dolphins coachBrian Flores said that Miami's owner paid him to lose games, Jackson made similar allegations against Haslam.[49]
On April 15, 2021, Jackson joinedTennessee State's coaching staff as the new offensive coordinator for the 2021 season, under new coachEddie George.[50] The Tigers finished with a 5–6 record and an average of 19.7 points per game for the 2021 season.[51]
On December 10, 2021, Jackson was hired to be the 14th head coach of theGrambling State Tigers. It marks his first time serving as a head coach in college football.[52] He was fired in November 2023.[53]
In June 2024, Jackson was hired to be the assistant general manager of theGeorgia State Panthers football team. Jackson will be working with head coachDell McGee.[54]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||||||||||||
| OAK | 2011 | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in AFC West | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||
| OAK total | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||
| CLE | 2016 | 1 | 15 | 0 | .063 | 4th in AFC North | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||
| CLE | 2017 | 0 | 16 | 0 | .000 | 4th in AFC North | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||
| CLE | 2018 | 2 | 5 | 1 | .313 | Fired | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||
| CLE total | 3 | 36 | 1 | .088 | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||
| Total | 11 | 44 | 1 | .205 | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||||
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grambling State Tigers(Southwestern Athletic Conference)(2022–2023) | |||||||||
| 2022 | Grambling State | 3–8 | 2–6 | 5th (West) | |||||
| 2023 | Grambling State | 5–6 | 4–4 | 4th (West) | |||||
| Grambling State: | 8–14 | 6–10 | |||||||
| Total: | 8–14 | ||||||||
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Jackson's 3-36-1 record with the Browns is the worst head-coaching record for one team in NFL history (minimum 40 games).
