Rosenberg Terry will have a familiar face leading its football program next season as the school appointed 2006 graduate Darnell Jackson as head coach on Monday afternoon.
Jackson has been on staff at Terry since 2015 and served as the offensive coordinator this past season. He will replace his former boss Cornelius Anthony, who was hired as the head football coach at Fort Bend Hightower back on April 23.
“Being named the head coach at my old high school is a dream come true,” J
ackson said.
“Many coaches dream of the opportunity to be an assistant coach at their alma mater but becoming the head coach is such an honor.”
Jackson has plenty of football experience as he prepares for his first head coaching job. He played football for Terry and also played at the college level for North Alabama.
As he takes over this fall, Jackson will look to get the Rangers back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. They finished 5-5 last season, just one game shy of a playoff berth. The offense, coached by Jackson, averaged 26.3 points per game last season. However, star quarterback and District 10-5A Division I MVP Kellen Stewart graduated after racking up 2,239 yards and 37 touchdowns a year ago, leaving the Rangers with a big hole to fill offensively.
“It’s hard replacing a special talent like Kellen Stewart,”
Jackson said.
“Not only was Kellen talented, he was one of our leaders and captain in a senior heavy program.”
The good news for Jackson and the Rangers is that despite losing 30 seniors to graduation, there is still plenty of talent returning to build a sturdy foundation for next season. Among the returners are running back Michael Odom, who had 584 rushing yards last year, and linebacker Juan Rodriguez, who had 50 tackles. Both earned second team all-district honors for their performances.
“We were young in many positions [last season],”
Jackson said.
“Our goals moving forward are to build off the talent of our returning starters and develop a solid foundation with underclassman. It isn’t going to be easy replacing that senior leadership, but I have all the confidence in the world that our returners will step to the plate.”
With strength and conditioning camp underway, Jackson is excited to get to work at the high school whose halls he walked 15 years ago.
“Taking over a program that had such an impact on my childhood and teenage years, is truly a blessing,”
Jackson said.
“There is a different type of passion and pride that comes out of you because you once put on that same jersey, played under the same stadium lights and ran out to the same fight song that the band plays before kickoff.”
And after coming so close to a playoff berth last year, the Rangers will look to make Jackson’s first year a successful one when they begin their season in just under three months time.
