Football
Jackson, Cornell
Cornell Jackson
- Title:
- Running Backs
- E-Mail Address:
- jacks11c@cmich.edu
- Phone:
- (989) 774-3896
- Year at CMU:
- 6th year at CMU
- Hometown:
- Jackson, Miss.
- Alma Mater/Year:
- Sterling College (Kansas)/1986
- Experience:
- 37th year
The Central Michigan run game continues to produce at a high level under coach Cornell Jackson, who is in his sixth year on coach Jim McElwain’s staff.
The 2023 season saw CMU sport a dynamic duo at running back in Marion Lukes and Myles Bailey. Despite injuries, the duo combined to rush for 1,213 yards and eight touchdowns and catch 43 passes for 412 yards. Lukes was named a First Team All-MAC kick returner after he accumulated a conference-best 1,618 all-purpose yards (737 rushing, 300 receiving, 581 on kickoff returns) and averaged a league-best 151.63 yards per game in MAC contests only.
In 2021, Jackson coached Lew Nichols III, who led the nation in rushing with 1,848 yards and earned the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year Award. Nichols’ yardage total ranks as the second-best rushing season in CMU history. Jackson’s running backs played a key role in an offense that ranked second in the MAC in scoring with 33.2 yards per game. The Chippewas finished 9-4, shared the MAC West title, and defeated Washington State, 24-21, in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
It marked CMU’s first bowl victory since 2012 and its first over a Power 5 opponent since 2017. Nichols ran for 138 yards and a touchdown in the game, giving him 10 100-yard games, including the last eight consecutively, on the season. He scored 16 rushing touchdowns, tying for the fourth most in program history.
In 2020, Jackson coached Nichols and Kobe Lewis as the pair combined to run for 976 yards and 10 touchdowns and the Chippewas ranked third in the MAC in rushing offense in the abbreviated six-game season.
Nichols led the Chippewas with 508 yards and four touchdowns en route to earning the MAC Freshman of the Year Award. He became the first Chippewa since 2007 to be so honored.
Jackson’s first season as CMU’s running backs coach in 2019 was an historic one for the program as Lewis and Jonathan Ward both surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing plateau. It marked the first time in program history that CMU had two running backs accomplish such a feat in the same season. The dynamic duo combined to post 12 100-yard rushing games.
The 2019 Chippewas increased their run-game production by more than 1,000 yards over the previous season. The highly successful run game helped to spearhead CMU’s remarkable turnaround in 2019, when it finished 8-6, won the MAC West title, appeared in the league championship game for the first time in a decade, and earned a berth in the New Mexico Bowl.
Jackson, who has over 34 years of collegiate coaching experience, arrived at Central Michigan with an impressive and extensive resumé that included stints at universities in the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, Conference USA, Mountain West, and the American.
He has coached dozens of players who have earned All-America and all-conference honors, have been drafted by NFL teams, and gone on to success on the professional level. Among them is Aaron Jones (UTEP), Akeem Shavers and Ralph Bolden (Purdue), DonTrell Moore (New Mexico), and J.R. Redmond, Terrell Smith, and Terry Battle (Arizona State).
Among the bowl games in which Jackson has coached are the Rose, New Mexico, Aloha, Sun and Little Caesar’s. He has also served NFL internships with the Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers (LB), Denver Broncos (RB), St. Louis Rams (RB) and Seattle Seahawks (LB).
Jackson holds a bachelor of science degree with a major in health and physical education from Sterling (Kan.) College.
His wife’s name is Lorri.
THE JACKSON FILE
Hometown: Jackson, Miss.
Education
Bachelor of Science, Health and Physical Education, Sterling College (Kansas), 1986
Coaching Career
Running Backs Coach, Central Michigan University, 2019-current
Running Backs Coach, University of Texas-El Paso, 2013-17
Running Backs Coach, Purdue University, 2009-12
Linebackers Coach, Kansas State University, 2008
Running Backs Coach, Baylor University, 2007
Running Backs Coach, University of New Mexico, 2005-06
Running Backs Coach/Linebackers Coach/Safeties Coach, University of Washington, 2002-04
Linebackers Coach, University of Houston, 2000-01
Running Backs Coach, Arizona State University, 1996-99
Linebackers Coach, University of New Mexico, 1995
Linebackers Coach, Pacific University, 1992-94
Linebackers Coach, Utah State University, 1990-91
Graduate Assistant Coach/Defensive Ends Coach, Central Missouri University, 1988-89
Running Backs Coach, Butler County C.C. (Kansas), 1987
Playing Career
Two-time All-Conference defensive back at Sterling (Kansas) College in 1984 and 1985 … Als played defensive back at Hinds Junior College in 1982 and 1983.
The 2023 season saw CMU sport a dynamic duo at running back in Marion Lukes and Myles Bailey. Despite injuries, the duo combined to rush for 1,213 yards and eight touchdowns and catch 43 passes for 412 yards. Lukes was named a First Team All-MAC kick returner after he accumulated a conference-best 1,618 all-purpose yards (737 rushing, 300 receiving, 581 on kickoff returns) and averaged a league-best 151.63 yards per game in MAC contests only.
In 2021, Jackson coached Lew Nichols III, who led the nation in rushing with 1,848 yards and earned the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year Award. Nichols’ yardage total ranks as the second-best rushing season in CMU history. Jackson’s running backs played a key role in an offense that ranked second in the MAC in scoring with 33.2 yards per game. The Chippewas finished 9-4, shared the MAC West title, and defeated Washington State, 24-21, in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
It marked CMU’s first bowl victory since 2012 and its first over a Power 5 opponent since 2017. Nichols ran for 138 yards and a touchdown in the game, giving him 10 100-yard games, including the last eight consecutively, on the season. He scored 16 rushing touchdowns, tying for the fourth most in program history.
In 2020, Jackson coached Nichols and Kobe Lewis as the pair combined to run for 976 yards and 10 touchdowns and the Chippewas ranked third in the MAC in rushing offense in the abbreviated six-game season.
Nichols led the Chippewas with 508 yards and four touchdowns en route to earning the MAC Freshman of the Year Award. He became the first Chippewa since 2007 to be so honored.
Jackson’s first season as CMU’s running backs coach in 2019 was an historic one for the program as Lewis and Jonathan Ward both surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing plateau. It marked the first time in program history that CMU had two running backs accomplish such a feat in the same season. The dynamic duo combined to post 12 100-yard rushing games.
The 2019 Chippewas increased their run-game production by more than 1,000 yards over the previous season. The highly successful run game helped to spearhead CMU’s remarkable turnaround in 2019, when it finished 8-6, won the MAC West title, appeared in the league championship game for the first time in a decade, and earned a berth in the New Mexico Bowl.
Jackson, who has over 34 years of collegiate coaching experience, arrived at Central Michigan with an impressive and extensive resumé that included stints at universities in the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, Conference USA, Mountain West, and the American.
He has coached dozens of players who have earned All-America and all-conference honors, have been drafted by NFL teams, and gone on to success on the professional level. Among them is Aaron Jones (UTEP), Akeem Shavers and Ralph Bolden (Purdue), DonTrell Moore (New Mexico), and J.R. Redmond, Terrell Smith, and Terry Battle (Arizona State).
Among the bowl games in which Jackson has coached are the Rose, New Mexico, Aloha, Sun and Little Caesar’s. He has also served NFL internships with the Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers (LB), Denver Broncos (RB), St. Louis Rams (RB) and Seattle Seahawks (LB).
Jackson holds a bachelor of science degree with a major in health and physical education from Sterling (Kan.) College.
His wife’s name is Lorri.
THE JACKSON FILE
Hometown: Jackson, Miss.
Education
Bachelor of Science, Health and Physical Education, Sterling College (Kansas), 1986
Coaching Career
Running Backs Coach, Central Michigan University, 2019-current
Running Backs Coach, University of Texas-El Paso, 2013-17
Running Backs Coach, Purdue University, 2009-12
Linebackers Coach, Kansas State University, 2008
Running Backs Coach, Baylor University, 2007
Running Backs Coach, University of New Mexico, 2005-06
Running Backs Coach/Linebackers Coach/Safeties Coach, University of Washington, 2002-04
Linebackers Coach, University of Houston, 2000-01
Running Backs Coach, Arizona State University, 1996-99
Linebackers Coach, University of New Mexico, 1995
Linebackers Coach, Pacific University, 1992-94
Linebackers Coach, Utah State University, 1990-91
Graduate Assistant Coach/Defensive Ends Coach, Central Missouri University, 1988-89
Running Backs Coach, Butler County C.C. (Kansas), 1987
Playing Career
Two-time All-Conference defensive back at Sterling (Kansas) College in 1984 and 1985 … Als played defensive back at Hinds Junior College in 1982 and 1983.
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