6 CLACKAMAS PRINT - MAY 6.2015
Former CCC coach inducted into
National Wrestling Hall of Fame
Story and photo by Blake Thomason
May 2, 2015, m ig h t go dow n as one
o f th e m ost historic days in sports his
tory: there was th e NFL Draft, th e Ken
tucky Derby, NHL and NBA playoffs and
a legendary fig h t betw een Manny Pac
quiao and Floyd Mayweather. But none
o f those could to p w h a t happened in
the Washington Square Embassy Suites.
The Oregon chapter o f th e N ation
al W restling Hall o f Fame inducted six
new members, including form er Clacka
mas Community College wrestling head
coach and athletic director Jim Jackson.
“ I w o u ld n ’t miss this fo r the w orld,"
said Davey Evans, w h o w re s tle d fo r
Jackson from 1992-93 a t CCC.
T h roughout th e ceremony, friends,
family, form er wrestlers and colleagues
of Jackson were on their phones check
ing th e score o f th e S purs-C lippers
game or seeing w ho was w inning the
M ayweather-Pacquiao fight. But when
Jackson was called up, all eyes w ere
on him.
“ I guess I fo o le d everyone," jo ke d
Jackson. “All th e things I get credit fo r
I d id n ’t d o alone. I stole fro m o th e r
coaches and peers."
W h e n Josh Rhoden, c u rre n t head
wrestling coach at CCC, heard Jackson’s
hum ble line he called it “ BS.”
Rhoden, w ho was hired by Jackson,
w e n t on to say, “ People d o n ’t under
stand how hard [Jackson] w orked. If
I was there late,
he was there lat
er. He w o u ld be
th e re c le a n in g
u p th e w e ig h t
ro o m , cle a n in g
up th e gym after
a m atch. T h a t’s
w h e re I g o t m y
drive from .”
E vans
a ls o
re m e m b e re d
Ja ckso n ’s ha rd
work, explaining
how Jackson w ould ride his bike from
Northeast Portland all th e way o u t to
CCC every day. Jackson’s dedication and
com m itm ent likely comes from his m il
itary days. Jackson graduated from the
Naval Academ y In 1973 and coached
th e U.S. Marine and M ilitary team s fo r
five years. Those team s included four
Olympians and tw o w o rld champions.
“W h e n you th in k o f O lym pic bas
ketball, you th in k o f Mike Krzyzewski,”
said Rhoden. “ If you had to com pare
[Jackson] to someone, it’d be th e guy
w ho coached
“Anytime you see X ’ X
a guy working that “
X'
hard get honored X " no,h"
like this, you know
'X X
:*»_ wiooha ”
Jackson affected
11 S rigni.
people, th o u g h .
- Josh Rhoden
a te a m m a te o f
Evans a t CCC
fro m 1992-93, credited Jackson w ith
im pacting his life.
“He was very encouraging,” said Bon
neau. “ He was really a positive, u p lift
ing guy.” Bonneau is currently an artist,
and after th e cerem ony he presented
Jackson w ith a painting as a gift. The
same man w h o th e y showed flipping
opponents over his head gushed about
how “ beautiful" th e a rt was.
W hile Jackson is no longer at CCC,
where he spent six years coaching and
seven years as AD, his im pact is still fe lt
in th e athletics programs.
“ People always ask me, ‘W h a t’s your
legacy now th a t you’re not at Clacka
mas?’" said Jackson. “ I tell th e m Clack
amas still is my legacy. I hired five of
th e coaches there now and a sixth is
no longer coaching, b u t still a faculty
member."
Although Jackson was gracious and
humble about his induction, th e form er
and cu rre n t CCC w re stlin g m em bers
agreed he belongs in th e hall.
“ It’s long overdue,” said Bonneau.
“ He deserves it,” said Evans. “ Like
[Bonneau] said, it’s long overdue.”
“ It’s way overdue, he d e fin ite ly de
serves it,” said Rhoden. “A nytim e you
see a guy w orking th a t hard get hon
ored like this, you know it’s right.”
Jim Jackson, front row and third from the right poses with the other Oregon National Wrestling Hail of Fame inductees for 2015. After lettering at the US Naval Academy, Jackson was a head coach of the US Marine and Military teams, Clear Creek
High School in Iowa and Clackamas Community College before transitioning to athletic director at CCC. Jackson also officiated wrestling for 18 years. He currently serves as the compliance manager for the NWAC