Bowling Green’s 40 Under 40: Darryl Jackson

Story by Amelia Bowen

Basketball did not just happen to Darryl Jackson; it educated him, tested him and took him the long way around. Raised in Detroit, Darryl grew up in two very different but equally powerful classrooms. His mother spent thirty years as a guidance counselor, teaching him how to sit with young people, listen closely and help them unlock their future. His father built a career as a community barber, demonstrating how to stand in a room full of strangers, find common ground with anyone and make them feel seen. Add in his younger brother, Blake, who watched his every move and eventually followed him into collegiate coaching, and Darryl had his foundation. He learned early that leadership is not a title. It is the ripple effect you leave on other people. Long before he wore WKU red on the sidelines at E.A. Diddle Arena, Darryl built his reputation “Brick X Brick” across the junior college circuit. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Valparaiso University and began his coaching career in Canada with the Windsor Express, followed by Navarro College before earning a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Detroit Mercy as a graduate assistant. He then continued building on the sidelines of Garden City Community College and Weatherford College before making his way to WKU. “I came up the long way,” Darryl reflects. “Every gym taught me something. Every mentor sharpened me. Coaching itself became one of my greatest teachers.” Those grueling years were a masterclass in raw player development and proof that the hardest work happens when nobody is watching, laying the groundwork for him to develop standout athletes like WKU graduate Brandon Newman. That deeply rooted desire to serve started long before coaching. At just eight years old, Darryl served the less fortunate at a Detroit church, an early memory of giving back that remains permanently etched in his mind. Today, he brings that exact same relentless energy to Bowling Green. When Darryl talks about community, he backs it up with constant action. He is the coach showing up for High Five Fridays at local elementary schools, running drills with kids at the Kummer Little Recreation Center and supporting local lifelines like Med Center Health and Hospice of Southern Kentucky. He also stays spiritually grounded through his involvement with Loving Springs Baptist Church and Pleasant Union Baptist Church. As Darryl puts it, “Basketball is a language, and the importance of bridging human connection and competence through the game is just as important domestically as it is globally.” Faith driven and anchored by the belief that a rising tide raises all ships, Darryl approaches every situation fearlessly. He believes deeply that everything is ordained, provided you act with righteous intent. Always looking for ways to grow, he is even considering pursuing another advanced degree to further his perspective. Yet his true measure of success is never his own accolades. For Darryl, the ultimate victory is found in the quiet work of lifting people up, celebrating the milestones of the young men he mentors and knowing that when you invest deeply in human beings, the winning takes care of itself.