On April 24, 2014, Candice M. Jackson, a former standout guard at Michigan State University and a rising star in the coaching profession, was announced as the head women’s basketball coach at the College of Charleston.
Candice M. Jackson
After giving Coach Jackson a few weeks to settle in, Athletics Communications sat down recently with the former Richmond, Wake Forest and Duke assistant to get her take on life in the Lowcountry, student-athlete expectations and the greatest basketball player she’s ever seen.
Q: First off, what excites you most about being here in Charleston?
A: “The players. Based on the little bit that I have gotten to know about them, they are hungry, they are determined, they have had that taste of success and I think they are ready to keep moving in the right direction. They also seem to be very motivated. We had a team meeting recently and I was impressed with how many questions they had. Collectively, it’s a group hungry for knowledge. I value that.”
Q: What is your primary point of emphasis right now as you begin to gear up for next season?
A: “Toughness. Toughness will be something that plays a big role in our ability to be successful. We also want to play fast, so we’ll need to work on some things defensively that allow us to get out in transition.”
Q: As a former player and assistant coach at some very high-level institutions, what lessons or experiences are you most looking forward to instilling in this College of Charleston program?
A: “I would say it’s hard-work. As a player, I wasn’t the fastest or the strongest, but I worked hard, was smart and had a good understanding of the game. I understood the basics…passing, shooting, cutting and defending. Those are concepts I worked tirelessly on. For example, I talk about wanting this group to play fast, but ultimately we need to teach them why we want to play that way and how we want to go about doing it most effectively.”
RELATED: Watch video highlights from Jackson’s introduction and press conference.
Q: As a head coach, what are the expectations for your players while they are away on summer break?
A: “Most importantly they need to stay conditioned. I’ve told the players to expect the unexpected. This journey is going to be different for them. It’s going to be hard and it’s going to be something that they have never experienced before – so they need to be in the best shape that they can possibly be in when they get back to campus. Mark Proto (Director of Sports Performance) and I have talked about the direction we want to head in from a strength and conditioning standpoint and I can tell you with certainty that it’s going to require a lot of hard work from this group. But as a team, I know we will be better for it.”
Q: What do you expect from your student-athletes off the court?
A: “I believe that the student part of student-athlete comes first. While it’s important for our program to achieve success on the court, upholding The College’s academic mission statement will always be our top priority. In terms of character, integrity and academic excellence, our staff and our administration have very high expectations.”
Read the full interview with Candice jackson at CofCSports.com.
