Mark Jackson led team to playoffs twice in 4 seasons

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

St. Cloud High football coach Mark Jackson has been relieved of his duties by Principal Pam Tapley because of personal issues that negatively impacted the high school campus environment, Osceola School District Director of Community Relations Dana Schafer said Tuesday.

Jackson said Tuesday that he was asked to resign his position because of what he called a “disagreement of my performance” with Tapley.

Melissa Jackson, the coach’s wife, also has been relieved of her coaching duties, Schafer said, because of personal issues that negatively impacted the St. Cloud High campus.

Melissa Jackson coached flag football and girls soccer at St. Cloud High.

Schafer said a School District investigation is ongoing.

Tapley and St. Cloud High Athletic Director Chad Ansbaugh referred inquires to the School District.

Mark Jackson coached the Bulldogs four seasons, leading the team to a 9-2 record and a district championship in 2008 followed by a regional playoff appearance in 2009. It was only the second time that St. Cloud reached the football playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

Jackson said Tuesday that his wife required medical treatment Monday evening for what he called “health issues.”

“You could say that (stress) probably had something to do with it,” he said.

Jackson said he discussed a personal issue with Tapley in her office one day last week. He believes that conversation led to his dismissal as the school’s football coach.

Jackson learned that he lost the football job during a meeting at the School District office Monday afternoon.

Schafer said both of the coaches will have opportunities to continue their coaching careers at other local high schools.

Jackson said he has been offered an opportunity by the School District to transfer to Liberty High, where he could become an assistant football coach. Jackson said he planned to meet with Liberty administrators and head coach David Benson Friday.

Benson, who officially became the Chargers head coach last week, said Tuesday that he had just been made aware that Jackson may transfer to Liberty and said that he would talk to him about a coaching position in his program.

Melissa Jackson has an opportunity to transfer to Celebration High, Schafer said.

“People are asking me why I’m not the football coach anymore, and I honestly don’t have an answer. I didn’t do anything wrong,” Mark Jackson said.

Jackson was a four-sport star at St. Cloud High and was selected to the all-state football team when he graduated in 1992.

He was an assistant coach for former Bulldog Coach John Wallauer, returned to college to finish his degree and then succeeded Matt Kemper as the St. Cloud head coach in 2006.

Jackson’s record over four years is 21-22, 16-7 over the past two seasons. In 2009, the Bulldogs started 1-4 before winning six in a row to qualify for the playoffs as the district runner up.

The Bulldogs lost their spring game at Olympia, 38-14, but with the county’s leading passer, junior quarterback Phillip Steinmetz, returning, Jackson was optimistic that the team would enjoy another good season in 2010.

“I love those kids; this breaks my heart,” Jackson said. “I worked as hard as I could for this program; I gave everything to it. It’s been an important part of my life for a long time. No matter what happens, I’ll always be a Bulldog.”

Jackson said he will do everything in his power to resume his career successfully at Liberty High if he gets an opportunity.

“I guarantee that no one will work harder than I will to make that program a success,” Jackson said. “Whatever they ask me to do, I’ll do it with the same kind of energy and intensity that I gave to the program here at St. Cloud.”

Jackson also coached track and was going to be the boys weightlifting coach next year, Ansbaugh said.

Ansbaugh said Tuesday that one of the St. Cloud football assistants would take the team to 7-on-7 tournaments that Coach Jackson scheduled through the summer.

“With the new facilities we have going in here, I believe we’ll have a lot of good candidates to choose from when we advertise this job,” Ansbaugh said.

Mark Jackson addressed his departure as the Bulldogs coach in a letter that is available at aroundosceola.com.

Jackson is the fifth Osceola County football coach to leave since last season, following Poinciana’s Gene Smith, Celebration’s John Bangley, Osceola’s Jeff Rolson and Liberty’s Doug Nichols. Nichols now is the  coach at OHS.