Pajaro Valley High announced Friday that it has hired Darren Jackson as the new head coach of the girls’ basketball team.
Jackson will replace Mark Harris who stepped down from the same position after spending four years at the helm.
“My plan is to build off what was already in place, but also bring a lot of energy to that,” Jackson said. “Getting the kids to trust and see my vision of how we’re gonna do this.”
Jackson was the former head coach at North Salinas for 24 years before being released from his duties in October 2024. He led the program to 469 total wins, 12 league titles and three Central Coast Section crowns.
Three weeks before the start of the basketball season, Jackson and North Salinas parted ways. Several supporters put together a petition to reinstate the longtime Vikings coach following the sudden dismissal.
Jackson spent the 2024-25 season on hiatus when he couldn’t land a job with another program.
“It kind of puzzled me for a long time,” he said.
Jackson remained busy, though, keeping his eye on the local teams by continuing to watch film and attend games.
“Just waiting on the day that I will return,” he said.
As Pajaro Valley athletic director Joe Manfre went through the interview process for a new head coach, he was thrilled to see Jackson’s name on the list of potential candidates.
“[Jackson] interviewed extremely well, not surprising,” Manfre said. “I was super excited to get such an experienced, well respected coach on our campus. Did a lot of great things at North Salinas, and I’m just super excited to have him be a part of what we’re trying to build here at PV.”
Manfre added that Jackson checked all the boxes, and had all the correct answers to any questions thrown his way.
“[Jackson’s] been doing it for a long time, and I think he just has seen so much,” Manfre said. “He knows how things should be done. And I like his energy. He just seems like he’s excited for the opportunity to coach.”
Jackson, 61, was born and raised in Fort Gaines, Ga. where he played basketball. He finished his senior year of high school in Sierra Vista, Ariz. before playing two years at Cochise Junior College in Douglas, which is right along the United States and Mexico borders.
Jackson attempted to extend his hoop dreams in professional basketball, but it didn’t work out the way he had hoped.
Instead, he moved to Salinas with his sister, Jennie Williamson, who at the time was serving in the US Army and stationed at Fort Hunter Liggett in South Monterey County.
Since then, Jackson has been one of the winningest coaches in Monterey County’s history.
“I’m passionate about everything that I do,” Jackson said. “I take it seriously but I also want the kids to have fun and learn…I think the passion and the motivation, it just comes natural for me.”
Jackson said his job at Pajaro Valley isn’t just to coach basketball, but to give each student-athlete under his wing the opportunity to pick up their confidence level, while rooting for them in return.
“Now that today I’m officially a coach, I’m going to the volleyball game, gonna get my popcorn,” Jackson said. “I want those kids to know that I’m there for them. I want to go support you as a flag football player. If you’re out there in the rain, I want to be out there in that rain, supporting you on that football field.”
