How do you follow in the footsteps of a legend?
I asked this question to ASU women’s tennis Head Coach Jamea Jackson, who took over the women’s tennis program after 40-year veteran coach Sheila McInerney announced her retirement last year. I was not the first to ask that question. In fact, Jackson asked herself that very same thing. At first, her response was “no brainer” to inheriting a winning program from a well-respected university with a stellar athletic reputation. Her next thought, however, was, “I gotta follow in the footsteps of this legend.” She had big shoes to fill.
Jackson explained, “I’m seeing it as a huge challenge to build on the incredible legacy that Sheila has built here, and it’s been wonderful.”
After all, Sheila McInerney coached ASU women’s tennis for 40 years, and had a career record of .628. Her teams made it to the NCAA quarterfinals 8 times, and the sweet sixteen 18 times. She has more accolades than any other coach in any sport at ASU.
Jamea Jackson is no slouch, though. Most recently, she was head coach of the Princeton Tigers for two seasons, and won the Ivy League title both years. She won Ivy League Coach of the Year last year. She was a former pro, with a high ranking of 43rd in the world. She also coached for nine years with the USTA developing the best junior and pro players in the country. She was an assistant coach at Oklahoma State University, in the Big 12.
Even with her strong history, she undoubtedly had to face challenges and adjustments. “When you first come into a place, everything is new, even the processes that you have to get used to, so it’s been a whirlwind for sure,” she told me.
Fortunately, the atmosphere at ASU was welcoming.
“I’ve worked in a lot of great places with a lot of great people, and I’ve never experienced a situation where everyone around you feels like a family,” Jackson said. “This place feels like family, and that has made it so special already. I could not be more excited to be a part of Arizona State.”
However, a new coach isn’t the only major change the tennis program has faced this year. With ASU moving to the Big 12 from the Pac-12, Jackson is facing the stressors of change along with all of her team members. She acknowledged that people generally don’t like change, and they respond to it differently, but she believes the student athletes have handled it well and have shown a lot of growth since the beginning of the year.
She also said she sees them growing into fantastic young women.
When I asked her how she was preparing the team for their debut in the Big 12, she talked about the changes the players will face, like more travel and playing indoors. However, she was confident about her team’s resilience. “No day, no opponent makes anything different for us,” she explained. “Our goals are what we can control and how we comport ourselves on a daily basis, that’s always to do our best, whatever we can bring that day.”
Part of the adjustment process for Jackson also included establishing trust and winning over players that were recruited and coached by someone else. There is no doubt some players might be resistant to or skeptical about a new coach. However, according to team captain, senior Patricija Spaka, nicknamed “Sparky” by the team, the differences between the two coaches were not as significant as their similarities.
“They’re very similar in their love for tennis,” Spaka said.
If the team’s record is any indication of how Jackson has settled into her new role as the head coach, it is clear that the answer to that is “very well.” ASU is currently 11-5 overall (.688) and 6-2 in conference (.750) so far.
Clearly, the task of following in the footsteps of a legend has been mastered.
But Jackson isn’t done yet. “I want to build a dynasty,” she said. “Let’s go!”
