Jeff Jackson, Head Coach

In just two seasons, Jeff Jackson has guided Notre Dame from last place in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association to a CCHA regular-season and tournament championship in 2006-07.

Jackson's Irish turned in their best record ever in 2006-07, going 32-7-3 overall and 21-4-3 in the conference. Notre Dame was ranked number one in the nation for the first time during the season and for seven consecutive weeks (Feb. 5 - March 16), advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the program's 39-year history.

For his efforts, Jackson was the recipient of the 2007 Spencer Penrose Award as the Division I national coach of the year. He also was the CCHA Coach of the Year along with USCHO.com, Inside College Hockey.com and College Hockey News.com Coach of the Year.

The highly respected hockey tactician took over the Notre Dame program on May 6, 2005 as the fourth coach since the program's Division I inception in 1968. During his two seasons behind the Notre Dame bench, Jackson owns a 45-26-7 (.622) record and in eight seasons as a collegiate head coach he is 227-78-32 (.721), for the top winning percentage among active Division I coaches.

A 1978 graduate of Michigan State University with degrees in communications and education, Jackson got his collegiate coaching start in 1986 at Lake Superior as an assistant on Frank Anzalone's staff, helping guide the Lakers to one CCHA title and the 1988 NCAA championship.

When Anzalone moved to the pro ranks following the 1989-90 season, Jackson took over behind the Lakers' bench and guided Lake Superior to a 182-52-25 (.751) record between 1990 and 1996. During that span, LSSU won two CCHA regular-season titles, four CCHA championships and played in three consecutive NCAA finals, winning the NCAA championship in 1992 and 1994.

In the CCHA, Jackson's teams were 120-38-23 (.727) and had an incredible 24-2 (.937) mark in six visits to the league tournament. His teams produced 12 All-Americans and one Academic All-American. He was named CCHA Coach of the Year in 1991 and served as Director of Athletics at Lake Superior from 1993-96.

Following the 1995-96 season, Jackson became the national coach and senior director of the newly founded U.S. National Team Development Program based in Ann Arbor, Mich. In his first season, he led the U.S. to a silver medal at the 1997 World Junior Championships, at the time, the best-ever finish for the U.S. team.

In 2000, Jackson moved to Guelph of the Ontario Hockey League where he turned a losing franchise around. In two-plus seasons as head coach, the Storm was 87-67-24-4. He spent two seasons (2003-05) as an assistant coach with the N.Y. Islanders before taking over at Notre Dame.

Assistant Coaches
Paul Pooley, Ohio State '84
Andy Slagger, Notre Dame '89