Jamea Jackson named Princeton University Women’s Tennis coach

Princeton University announced former world No. 45 Jamea Jackson will join their Women’s Tennis team as Head Coach on Monday.

“I am delighted to join the Princeton family,” Jackson said in Princeton’s official press release. “I look forward to helping the student-athletes become the best they can be in the classroom as well as on the tennis court.”

Jackson steps into shoes previously filled by Laura Granville, another former WTA standout who guided the Princeton Tigers to six Ivy League titles.

“I relish the opportunity to carry on the winning legacy of Princeton Women’s Tennis and to further the tradition of excellence—not only in the Ivy League but at the national level—established by the amazing head coaches and players who have come before me!”

Jackson's appointment received a ringing endorsement from Billie Jean King.

A Nick Bollettieri Academy contemporary of Maria Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic, Jackson first worked as Assistant Coach for the women’s tennis team at Oklahoma State University in 2009 before joining the USTA, where she spent nine years working as a National Coach.

“I’m so incredibly proud of the girls coming up,” she said in an interview Legacy Youth Tennis Education. “I’m a fan of the way they carry themselves and their strength. They’re not afraid of the big stage or of any opponent across the net. They also have such poise: they work hard but there’s so much humility. All of those girls—Coco, Caty [McNally], Whitney [Osuigwe], Amanda—the future is very bright.”

In that same interview, Jackson promoted the value of college tennis and its viability for young players weighing whether to turn professional.

“You look at someone like Jennifer Brady, who went to school [at UCLA], had a great experience, and now she’s out and doing big things on tour. The good players who’ve gone to college, like Brady or Aliona Bolsova or Nicole Gibbs, they’re making dents on the pro tour.

“If you’re good, then you’re good, and the results are going to show it.”