Darren Jackson II joined the Northwestern State coaching staff in February of 2026. He comes to NSU after spending the previous two seasons as special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach at Hampton.
During his time at Hampton, he led the Pirates’ defensive backs corps to the top of the rankings in the 2024 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) and ranked in the top 25 nationally in yards allowed per game. The Pirates had the 11th best pass defense, 167.8 yards per game) in the nation that season.
A native of Gloucester, Va., Jackson has coached at nearly every level of the game, serving in various capacities as head coach, defensive coordinator, special team coordinator, defensive backs coach and linebackers coach in the high school, NAIA, FCS and FBS ranks.
Prior to Hampton, Jackson served as head coach and defensive coordinator at Sterling College from 2022-23 after a one-year stop at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in 2021. He also spent the 2020 season at Colorado Mesa University as defensive backs coach and co-special team’s coordinator.
He was named to the 2020 American Football Coaches Association’s (AFCA) 35 Under 35 Leadership Class, a program that identifies and develops future leaders in the football coaching profession.
He also served as special team’s coordinator and cornerbacks coach at Evangel University in 2019, helping guide one of the nation’s top defensive units. Evangel ranked sixth nationally in total defense and 12th in scoring defense that year. He helped guide Anthanie Leeviraphan to finish the season with six interceptions, the second-highest total in the nation, earning second-team all-conference honors.
In his first head coaching job at Trinity Bible College, an NCCAA program in Ellendale, S.D., he inherited a roster of just 26 players prior to the 2016 season. He guided them to their first win in two seasons, first home win in five seasons, first homecoming win in 10 seasons and the best overall record in six seasons during his lone year leading the program.
Jackson was named coach of the year following that season had five players from that team earn first or second-team NCCAA honors.
He began his coaching career at Viginia Episcopal School in 2011 while completing his undergraduate degree. From there he served in various roles, including linebacker coach, for three seasons at The Apprentice School in Newport News, Va. He won a 2A Florida state championship as a member of the coaching staff at University Christian School in Jacksonville in 2015, before jumping to the college ranks in 2016 at Trinity Bible.
Jackson is a two-time graduate of Liberty, receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in education in 2012 and Master of Arts degree in human services counseling – life coaching in 2016.
He and his wife, Tina, have two sons, Keon and Maceo.
