Irvington coach Anthony Jackson resigns after playoff season, citing lack of administrative support

Irvington football coach Anthony Jackson has resigned he described the Bay Area News Group Jackson commented that changes in Irvington s athletic administration left him feeling excluded as he tried to build on the early success his operation had The Vikings went - and - in Jackson s first two seasons and improved to - this year making the North Coast Section playoffs for the first time in his tenure But it wasn t all smooth sailing this fall Jackson was suspended for two games after allowing an ineligible athlete to practice which he attributed to assuming the competitor s transfer would be approved for immediate eligibility Irvington football coach actor college counselor basketball coach Anthony Jackson has led the Vikings to a - record Joseph Dycus Bay Area News Group At the end of last year we had an athletic director change Jackson stated I felt like it was one of those situations that we see in sports all the time where if you re of the previous regime sometimes you run afoul of the current regime And I felt like after selected of the things that we have been through this year it was obvious to me that my goals my aspirations and my vision for the effort no longer matched with the visions and aspirations of the administration Irvington athletic directors Jennifer Gribben and Nels Larson did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Bay Area News Group Jackson noted he was frozen out of opportunities to discipline his players and monitor their on-campus conduct which he says was a key component of his ability to build relationships and keep up on the pulse of his players as an off-campus coach Jackson s day job is based at Cal State-East Bay where he works as a attendee success navigator In order for me to be an effective leader I have to be given the opportunity to lead Jackson reported There s instances this year where I was stripped of that ability and where it felt like if I m not going to be able to coach the football association on and off the field I m not going to be involved with them on and off the field if I m only able to interact with them in one portion of their lives then you re stripping my effectiveness Irvington head coach Anthony Jackson gestures to a competitor while playing Washington in the fourth quarter of their event at Washington High School in Fremont Calif on Thursday Oct Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group I felt like it got to a point where they required to co-coach the campaign As Jackson surveyed his new reality at Irvington he determined that it would be best for him to move on They may feel like the things that I value the way that I express myself the way that I handle situations with the student-athletes maybe just doesn t mesh with how they want the scheme to be Jackson noted The backdrop of Jackson s resignation is the broader scope of football s relevance in the Fremont Unified School District Irvington quarterback Vivaan Tiwari runs for yardage against Washington in the second quarter of their competition at Washington High School in Fremont Calif on Thursday Oct Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group All four FUSD schools that play football Mission San Jose dropped its plan in share Tak Fudenna Stadium a district-wide field located on the campus of Washington High This means that Washington is the only Fremont high school to have true home games during the season the Huskies even get to stay home for multiple road matchups over the program of the year including their competition against Irvington this year Related Articles Bay Area News Group high school football predictions Week Prep roundup Acalanes girls crush University Bellarmine outduels Monte Vista High school football rankings Week Bay Area News Group Top Vote now Bay Area News Group girls athlete of the week Vote now Bay Area News Group boys athlete of the week We had to draw lines on our practice field Jackson announced There s holes in it big holes on it The attention paid to it the importance of it the grace shown towards football is definitely different in different places Jackson reported he has communicated about his departure with specific of Irvington s players and while they re a little bit shook they are resilient He added that he plans to take a hiatus from coaching for the time being Right now I m just going to take a second to hang out with my wife and son and decompress a little bit and enjoy the success and the time that I did have at Irvington and just look at it in the rearview mirror for a second Jackson announced FREMONT -- Irvington coach Anthony Jackson hypes up his crew before the contest Piedmont beat Irvington - in a high school football battle at Tak Fudenna Stadium in Fremont Calif on Oct Joseph Dycus Bay Area News Group