Jamea Jackson Named Women's Tennis Head Coach

PRINCETON, N.J. – Jamea Jackson has been named head coach of Princeton Women’s Tennis as announced by Ford Family Director of Athletics John Mack ’00 Monday afternoon.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Jamea to the Princeton Athletics family," said Ford Family Director of Athletics John Mack '00. "From our very first conversation, Jamea blew me away with her passion for helping young women develop as athletes, students and, most importantly, as people. Jamea will be a tremendous addition to our department and the University, and she will be a fantastic leader for our Women’s Tennis program.”

Jackson is the ninth head coach in program history. She succeeds Laura Granville, who guided the Tigers to six Ivy League titles, and a program-high ranking of No. 12 in 2020.

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

A former professional player, Jackson comes to Princeton with coaching experience at both the collegiate and national levels. Most recently, she coaches with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) where she has served as a National Coach since 2013. Jackson’s role with the USTA was to recruit the top American talent to Orlando for training weeks, camps, and trips and she assisted in all aspects of developing the nation’s best junior and pro tennis players, including current professionals Hailey Baptiste and Katie Volynets, along with 2022 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Rookie of the Year Connie Ma. While with the USTA, she captained the United States U16 team to the Jr. Billie Jean King Cup Team Championship in 2019.

 From August 2009 until July 2013, Jackson served as an assistant coach of the women’s tennis team at Oklahoma State University. She helped take the Cowgirls from unranked to No. 37 in the ITA rankings, recruited the No. 4 recruiting class in the country in 2011, managed team travel, ran team practices, and performed budgetary duties.

Before entering the coaching ranks, Jackson played full time on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour from March 2003 until August 2009, and achieved a career-high ranking of No. 43 in 2006. Along with playing in all four Grand Slams, she represented the United States in Fed Cup Competition in 2006, and notched wins over Maria Sharapova, Marion Bartoli, Amy Frazier, Maria Kirilenko, and Jelena Jankovic, all former top-20 players. 

What They Are Saying

 “Jamea is a tremendous hire for Princeton. She is one of the few people in coaching who has been a top-50 pro player, has world-class development coaching experience with the USTA, and college coaching experience at the highest level. Best of all though, Jamea is one of the finest people I know and she will build on all of the success Laura Granville achieved during her stint at Princeton.” – Rodney Harmon, Georgia Tech Head Coach

“Princeton has made an incredible hire in Jamea Jackson. She is one in a million! Jamea’s expertise, experience as a top professional player, integrity and infectious personality has earned her the respect of the tennis community which has played an instrumental role in the success of Player Development. Jamea joined me as BJK Cup Coach for the Final in 2021 & currently serves as my Coach. She has played an instrumental role in our success. She is an incredible teammate, she demonstrates strong team spirit, handles high pressure situations with grace, and is beloved by all the players. She embodies all the characteristics of being an excellent coach and true leader but most importantly she is one of the most incredible human beings I have ever known! Princeton is so fortunate to have Jamea Jackson leading their team, they are in the very best hands! I’m behind you all the way Jamea!” – Kathy Rinaldi, USTA Head of Women’s Tennis

“I am extremely thrilled to congratulate Jamea Jackson on her new position as the Head Coach of Princeton University. I have had the privilege of knowing Jamea as a friend, player, coach and teammate over the course of 20-plus years. The same attributes that made her the fierce competitor and former top 50 WTA player also make her an excellent coach. She is trustworthy, highly competitive, carries a spirit of optimism and leads with love and service. I have witnessed the positive impact and successes that she’s made with players both on and off the court. Jamea’s love and passion for people and coaching has been infectious. She adds tremendous value and makes those around her better each day. I am honored to call you a friend. I know you are destined to do great things at Princeton and I look forward to following your successful journey in the Ivy League.” – Jermaine Jenkins, USTA Women’s National Coach

“We’re excited to welcome Jamea to the Princeton tennis family. She’s had a distinguished career at USTA player development leading the top American girls. Her energy and boundless enthusiasm is contagious and I’m confident she will have tremendous success leading our women’s program. We’re excited to work together while collectively advancing Princeton Tennis.” – Billy Pate, Princeton Men’s Tennis Head Coach

“In my role of GM for Player & Coach Development I’ve had the privilege of working with Jamea for seven years. Her skill as a coach, character as a person and impact as a leader have set the standard for our National Coaches and our entire team. Our sadness in her departure from our team is matched only by our gratitude that as she embarks on an amazing new challenge at Princeton, she will remain a friend and a leader on Team USA, just in a different role. We are happy for Jamea and for the Tigers!” – Martin Blackman, USTA Director of Player Development