Growing up in Baton Rouge, Paula Jackson recalls sports being a big part of her childhood.
The self-described “boy in the family,” between her and her sister, Jackson fondly remembers the weekend road trips to games with her parents and always being present at Southern University or LSU games.
“That’s how I grew up, and I couldn’t understand people who didn’t go to games on Saturdays,” Jackson said. “In Baton Rouge, you were either at Tigers Stadium or Jaguars Stadium.”
It was only natural that by the time Jackson reached middle school at Southern University Laboratory School, she would pursue a career in sports. The former Southern cheerleader took the scenic route, working in corporate America before pivoting to sports and eventually senior athletic leadership in college sports. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in broadcast and print journalism, she earned an MBA in marketing from Clark Atlanta University and a PhD in athletic administration from Northcentral University.
Recently, Jackson was hired as the interim athletic director at Texas Southern, where some might see nothing but difficulties and challenges. However, the 5-foot-3 former cheerleader and track athlete sees nothing but the positives in taking over an athletic department with so many positives, rich traditions and in the city she is excited to embrace.
“I always thought TSU was in a great position, really, almost like a diamond in the rough, being here in Houston with the presence that they have. I always felt it could be more,” said Jackson, who had somewhat of an insider’s perspective because her son once worked as a graduate assistant in the TSU athletic department. “So when I saw the opportunity, I said, ‘Let me throw my hat in the ring and see what happens.’ I think it’s in a very good place right now, just a strong foundation. I just jumped at the opportunity, and it all worked out for me.”
Indeed, it has all worked out for the senior administrative leader who has made impactful stops at HBCUs like Lincoln University, Mississippi Valley State, Hampton and most recently Norfolk State University. Along the way, she has built a reputation as a collaborative leader who is all about the student-athletes and preparing them for life after sports.
Binghamton athletic director Eugene Marshall, who hired Jackson as his second in command when he was leading Hampton’s athletic department, was convinced after the initial meeting set up by a mutual friend. Every step Jackson took from there further convinced Marshall that he had made the right choice as his No.2.
“I was just impressed because she had sat in the chair at different stops,” Marshall said. “She knew the role that we were looking for because she had done it. She was very professional, very seasoned and hit the ground running. Didn’t have to say this is what I need you to do. She already knew.
“I could provide a vision, and she could execute it. That worked successfully for eight and a half years until I left to come here. She was a major part of Hampton’s athletic success in moving from the MEAC to the Big South and later the Coastal Athletic Association and the hiring of coaches we had there, including our football coaching search and helping to supervise football and men’s and women’s basketball.”
At TSU, Jackson steps into a complicated situation. She was hired last month as the interim athletic director. That move has everything to do with the limbo status that Kevin Granger sits in as still the athletic director, at least in name, while on leave. Granger is on leave at present as he deals with sexual assault allegations against a staffer that came to light earlier this summer.
The university and Granger, through his representatives, have declined to discuss Granger or his job status.
In the meantime, Jackson is here and approaching the job as if it’s hers long term.
“It does say interim, but I’m not approaching it as just an interim position,” Jackson said to the Defender. “I’m approaching it as if I am the full-time athletics director here. My leadership is moving forward, making sure that we are progressing, making sure we are lifting the program, building on the foundation that we have and providing resources not just for our student athletes but for our staff and for our coaches so that we can make sure that they are excelling in their areas as well so that we can support our student athletes as best as possible.
“But I’m looking at it as an opportunity for me to really showcase my skillset and what I’m capable of doing. I’m ready to lead this program forward.”
Jackson didn’t elaborate much when asked what TSU told her about the possibility of the role becoming permanent, saying only that she is focused on the task at hand and doing the best job possible.
“There’s an opportunity. But right now, we are concentrating on getting me into position,” Jackson said. “It’s only been a couple of weeks and I’m still looking for a place to live in Houston. We’re working on that part, too.
“But right now, I want to get in and provide leadership, galvanize the team and move forward as quickly as possible.”
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Jackson is attempting to bring to TSU what she has been about as a leader and as a change agent in sports. She created the Minority Trailblazers in Sports Conference to get leadership and people looking for opportunities in the same space. Next year, the organization will celebrate its 25th year of doing just that. Jackson also facilitated the first HBCU NIL Masterclass at Norfolk State and is now working on a plan to bring it to TSU soon.
The summit provides education, networking and deal-making opportunities for student athletes.
“I think it’s wide open for us,” Jackson said of NIL and revenue sharing at Texas Southern. “We just need to really figure out how to take advantage of it from an individual standpoint, not just from a collective, but also providing us individual opportunities to our student athletes, as well.”
Jackson has used her background and experience to build an impressive body of work that also includes a reputation for fundraising, which will be essential at TSU.
“She can raise money. [She] helped me through that,” Marshall said. “But also, she helped us fund a grant from the NCAA and a women’s triathlon grant. She probably brought in almost $1 million in grants, which doesn’t usually happen on the athletic side. It usually happens on the academic side.”
Jackson’s many qualities as a leader, fundraiser and change agent have led those who know her and have worked with her to believe that TSU has made the right hire.
“I think she will do great,” Marshall said. “She is the type of person who can kind of smooth the waters and move the program forward. She will engage everybody. She will take the consensus of what’s been going well, what hasn’t and make the appropriate adjustments to move things forward.
“She is very confident in her ability to lead, to manage, work with folks. They will not only respect her, but they will work hard for her.”
Former Hampton basketball coach Edward “Buck” Joyner views the opportunity as a win-win for both sides. Jackson, who spent eight and a half years at Hampton, was the administrator of the basketball programs. Joyner watched as Jackson played a critical role in the athletics department in transitions from the MEAC to the Big South and into the Coastal Athletic Conference.
Jackson still proudly wears the MEAC championship ring Joyner gave her for all of her work and care with his team.
“I thought with her experiences and what she has done through several different conferences, I thought it was a great hire by TSU,” said Joyner, now an assistant coach at Bucknell. “I thought they got a person who is well-rounded and not only can come in and acclimate to their culture and make it even stronger, but also help them build on the experiences that she has through all of the different conferences that we switched.
“In her case, I thought it was a tremendous opportunity because of the rich tradition that I know and understand, especially on the basketball side that Texas Southern has.
“She has had an opportunity in the places that she has been to be in situations where she is at the height of HBCU athletics. So I thought it was a great opportunity for both situations.”
That’s certainly the hope for Jackson, who comes to TSU during this NIL, transfer portal and revenue-sharing era, which are all problematic for all HBCUs.
Jackson admits that she wasn’t totally on board with this new era of college athletics when it initially came about. But she is about helping TSU navigate these tricky waters.
“So, one of the things I’ve been doing as of late, prior to coming here, was NIL education, working with high schools all the way up through college to prepare them for what they need to do when coming into college and how they can position themselves,” she said. “And of course, for our college student athletes, making sure that they understand how to take advantage of this.
“We need to position ourselves and provide the resources for our student athletes that are specific for us. We are not trying to compete with our larger institutions, but take advantage of the space that is for us.”
This is the career and life Jackson was built for and prepared to do well.
“It was in my blood from way back,” she said. “My parents have both passed away since, but I know they are both smiling down and very proud, for sure.”
