RIP Coach as you taught plenty of us Panthers and raised plenty of young ladies in your track program.
Legendary Prairie View A&M women’s track coach and Olympic track coach Barbara Jean Jacket ranks as one of the greatest women’s track & field coaches in United States Track & Field history.
Born in Port Arthur, Texas, she and her two siblings were raised by her mother, who died when Barbara was just out of college. Jacket was a 1954 graduate of Lincoln High School, where she starred in basketball and track. After graduating from Tuskegee Institute in 1958, Jacket's achievements were almost too numerous to mention. Her 1965 to 1991 teams claimed eight National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) outdoor titles and two indoor titles; won national titles in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) and the U.S. Track and Field Federation; won eight Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) cross country titles, nine indoor titles and five outdoor SWAC titles in track and field. Jacket was named SWAC Coach of the Year on 23 occasions and NAIA Coach of the Year five times. Her teams won 23 SWAC championships, and Jacket tutored 57 All-Americans. In 1990, she became the only women athletic director in the SWAC when she was named to the position at Prairie View.
Jacket has received recognition on the state, nationals, and international level. A few of her honors: named to the NAIA Hall of Fame; honored as a "Distinguished Citizen" by the Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce; inducted into Tuskegee Institute's Athletic Hall of Fame (1987); selected NAIA "Outdoor Track Coach" four times; named "Coach of the Year" by SWAC in cross country seven times, indoor track nine times, outdoor track six times; voted a proclamation for meritorious service by Texas A&M Board of Regents in Fall of 1992; received the Joe Robercher Award; received the President's TAC Award; twice received the Yellow Rose of Texas Award; was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame (1993).
Jacket retired as head coach of women's track and field at Prairie View A&M in 1991 to devote more time to the Olympics. As coach of the 1992 U.S. Women's Olympic Track Team during the Olympics which ran from July 25 to August 9 in Barcelona, Spain, Ms. Jacket had the enviable task of coaching such greats as long jumper Jackie Joyner-Kersee and sprinters Gwen Torrance, Gail Devers, and Evelyn Ashford. The women's team won four gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze medals which was more than any team since 1956 at th time. She was the second African-American female to coach an Olympic team; the first was her track coach at Tuskegee, Dr. Nell Jackson, who coached in 1956. They also set a record in the 400-meter relay.
View: https://vimeo.com/118306980?ref=fb-share&fbclid=IwAR22SDMpToFAH5AipBGCEFkwSegflU7vsaFFI9GsECUlM4dbAoYBzR9lohU
Legendary Prairie View A&M women’s track coach and Olympic track coach Barbara Jean Jacket ranks as one of the greatest women’s track & field coaches in United States Track & Field history.
Born in Port Arthur, Texas, she and her two siblings were raised by her mother, who died when Barbara was just out of college. Jacket was a 1954 graduate of Lincoln High School, where she starred in basketball and track. After graduating from Tuskegee Institute in 1958, Jacket's achievements were almost too numerous to mention. Her 1965 to 1991 teams claimed eight National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) outdoor titles and two indoor titles; won national titles in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) and the U.S. Track and Field Federation; won eight Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) cross country titles, nine indoor titles and five outdoor SWAC titles in track and field. Jacket was named SWAC Coach of the Year on 23 occasions and NAIA Coach of the Year five times. Her teams won 23 SWAC championships, and Jacket tutored 57 All-Americans. In 1990, she became the only women athletic director in the SWAC when she was named to the position at Prairie View.
Jacket has received recognition on the state, nationals, and international level. A few of her honors: named to the NAIA Hall of Fame; honored as a "Distinguished Citizen" by the Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce; inducted into Tuskegee Institute's Athletic Hall of Fame (1987); selected NAIA "Outdoor Track Coach" four times; named "Coach of the Year" by SWAC in cross country seven times, indoor track nine times, outdoor track six times; voted a proclamation for meritorious service by Texas A&M Board of Regents in Fall of 1992; received the Joe Robercher Award; received the President's TAC Award; twice received the Yellow Rose of Texas Award; was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame (1993).
Jacket retired as head coach of women's track and field at Prairie View A&M in 1991 to devote more time to the Olympics. As coach of the 1992 U.S. Women's Olympic Track Team during the Olympics which ran from July 25 to August 9 in Barcelona, Spain, Ms. Jacket had the enviable task of coaching such greats as long jumper Jackie Joyner-Kersee and sprinters Gwen Torrance, Gail Devers, and Evelyn Ashford. The women's team won four gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze medals which was more than any team since 1956 at th time. She was the second African-American female to coach an Olympic team; the first was her track coach at Tuskegee, Dr. Nell Jackson, who coached in 1956. They also set a record in the 400-meter relay.
Barbara Jacket (1992) - Prairie View A&M University Sports Hall Of Fame - Prairie View A&M University Athletics
Barbara Jacket, Class: Induction: 1992 Sport(s): Women's Track, Head Coach, 1974 AIAW National Championship Women's Track Team, 1974 SWAC Championship Women's Outdoor
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View: https://vimeo.com/118306980?ref=fb-share&fbclid=IwAR22SDMpToFAH5AipBGCEFkwSegflU7vsaFFI9GsECUlM4dbAoYBzR9lohU