Former Ohio State QB Stanley Jackson to be recommended as head football coach at Westerville North

As a student of the game and former quarterback at Ohio State, Stanley Jackson Sr. takes pride in being able to judge talent and potential on the football field.

It's led to Jackson being on the verge of his first head-coaching assignment at the high school level, at Westerville North.

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Greg Viebranz, executive director of communications and family engagement for Westerville City Schools, confirmed Thursday that North athletic director Wes Elifritz will be recommending Jackson to Superintendent John Kellogg as the school’s new football coach.

Jackson's hiring requires board of education approval. The next regular board meeting is Feb. 13.

Jackson, who played for the Buckeyes from 1994-97, met with players in the North program Thursday. He also attended a Monday meeting with middle school athletes in which he discussed the program and introduced the members of his future coaching staff, including former Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells and former Buckeyes defensive tackle Winfield Garnett.

Jackson, 47, would succeed Bryan Johnson, who stepped down after his teams went 16-36 in five seasons.

“I’ve been building towards this,” Jackson said. “We’ve been coaching for five, six years at the youth level, all former Buckeyes, and we’ve been talking about this opportunity. We have the kids and they go on and you see them at the high school level and you think maybe this is the time to take the next step. The opportunity presented itself.”

Jackson was one of about 70 applicants for the position, according to Elifritz.

“Stan rose to the top,” Elifritz said. “In all three rounds of interviews that Stan was a part of, he painted an extremely clear picture of what our football program would be like with him as the head coach and the staff that he’s going to bring in. We feel this could be a transformational hire for us and something that is going to really take what Bryan Johnson has built and take it to the next level.”

In 2020, Johnson led the Warriors to a 6-4 record for their first winning season since 2004, and he was named Division I state Coach of the Year. North went 5-5 in 2005 and 16-104 over the next 12 seasons before Johnson's arrival, including five winless seasons and a 45-game losing streak from 2008-12.

Jackson's son, Ronald, was North's starting quarterback last season as a sophomore.

“The night he told me he was going to apply for the job, I was shocked,” Ronald said. “He’s been my coach my whole life. I know it’s going to be nothing new. He’s going to be himself. He’s always been tough on me.”

Jackson’s oldest son, Stanley Jr., is a senior running back and linebacker and his youngest son, Tre’, is a seventh-grader at Heritage Middle School. At 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds, Tre’ is expected to contribute at the high school level beginning in 2024.

“I’m very hard on my boys at the youth level because I’m just trying to get them to understand certain principles, work ethic, playing hard and pushing yourself,” Jackson said. “I push really hard, but as you get to high school it’s different. Now it’s your career. This is more about motivating and educating.”

Jackson is vice president of business development for Buckeye State Bank. He also has been a coach since 2015 with the Junior Football League of Westerville, a position from which he will step down. He said he’ll remain on the organization’s board.

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For North, Jackson said he has assembled a coaching staff with close ties to Ohio State, including former players Wells, Garnett, Mike Doss, Reggie Germany, Andre Griffin, Paris Long, Eric Smith, Dan Stultz and Ashanti Webb.

Griffin is the son of former Buckeyes running back Archie Griffin, the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner.

Jackson said his staff also would include Eastmoor graduate Marcus Ray, a former player at Michigan, and Ben Snell Sr., whose son, Benny Snell Jr., was a standout for Westerville Central and is now a running back with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Former Ohio State coach John Cooper and former assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Bill Conley would serve as consultants, according to Jackson.

“We’ll share as many stories as possible to get the guys to understand what we’re looking for from them,” Jackson said. “I do believe I’m capable, but it’s not just about me. I’m going to assemble a staff that is going to be second to none when it comes to high school football. This is like a superhero team. It’s guys with a passion for football that want to coach.”

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In 2023, North has games scheduled with Westerville rivals Central (Aug. 18) and South (Sept. 22).

“I played at Ohio State in the (mid to) late '90s where we didn’t have a lot of success against Michigan, where that particular game derailed national championships,” Jackson said. “There will be two clocks in our locker room and they will count down the days to the Central and South games. Our players and coaches will be acutely aware of those matchups. You have to win those games.”

Jackson is confident he can build on the turnaround started by Johnson.

“I believe the program is heading in the right direction and it’s our job to take that next step,” Jackson said. “Obviously, you’d like to see more wins than losses the last couple of years. When you watch the kids play, the team was, for the most part, very competitive. Coach Johnson did a heck of a job in taking this team to the next level and now it’s my job to finish it.”

fdirenna@dispatch.com

@DispatchFrank

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Former Ohio State QB Stanley Jackson could be Westerville north coach