2007 Coaches

Head Coach Jodi Jackson

Jodi Jackson is in her third season as the Thunderbirds’ head coach.

Coach Jackson, a 2000 graduate of Colorado State University-Pueblo (then University of Southern Colorado), had a triumphant second season at Southern Utah, leading her team to its fourth straight Mid-Continent Conference regular-season championship, the Mid-Con tournament championship, and for the first time in school history, to the NCAA Tournament. With a 34-32 overall record and a 21-3 mark in Mid-Con play the Thunderbirds broke records for home runs (58), RBI (316), runs scored (343), hits (500), at bats (1737), total bases (812), walks (187), and innings pitched (431.0). The ‘Birds also recorded numbers in SUU's top three for triples (31), doubles (76), stolen bases (101), slugging percentage (.467), on-base percentage (.363), strike outs (284), assists (599), and fielding percentage (.956). Marci Pratt was named the Mid-Con MVP under Jackson's tutelage, while four of Pratt's teammates: Tiffany Burt, Kortny Hall, Amy Sauer, and Erin Niederhauser earned all-conference awards.

In Ms. Jackson's first season at Southern Utah, she led the squad to its third straight Mid-Continent Conference regular-season championship, a 23-25-1 overall record and a 18-6 mark in Mid-Con play. Along the way the 2005 Thunderbirds belted a then-school-record 49 home runs and ranked among the nation’s leaders in homers (11th), double plays (fifth with 0.49 per game), slugging (18th at .469) and doubles (22nd with an average of 1.41 per game). Jackson also helped make history by coaching junior shortstop Tiffany Burt to Mid-Con Player and Newcomer of the Year honors in the same season, the only time an individual has swept both awards. 

Jackson spent the previous two seasons as head softball coach at Denton High School in Denton, Texas. Prior to her time at DHS, Jackson served three seasons as an assistant at CSU-Pueblo. She has also worked at softball camps nationwide since her graduation in 2000, including four years at Texas Woman’s University’s camps and two years each at University of Oklahoma’s and CSU-Pueblo’s camps.

In her two seasons at DHS Ms. Jackson led the Broncos to back-to-back winning seasons, including a 14-8 record and a fourth-place finish in the district standings in 2004.

As an assistant at CSU-Pueblo, Ms. Jackson helped coach the squad to its best-ever season in 2001. That year the Thunderwolves finished 52-14, were ranked seventh in NCAA Division II and claimed Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and region championships. In 2000 she helped guide the team to a third-place finish in the RMAC. Prior to joining the CSU-Pueblo staff, Ms. Jackson was a four-year letterwinner for the Thunderwolves, serving as a team captain her junior and senior seasons.

An active member of the NFCA since 2000, Jackson has recently received her master’s degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in coaching softball from Texas Woman’s University.

Jackson, who resides in Cedar City, is married to Brian Jackson.