SEATTLE - The University of Washington women's basketball program entered an exciting new era today with the appointment of Tia Jackson as the school's head coach, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Todd Turner announced.

Tia Jackson

"Tia is perfect match for Washington," said Turner. "Her experiences at the highest levels as a coach and a player have prepared her well for this special opportunity. Tia's passion for the game, her tutelage under some of the greatest coaches in women's basketball, and her commitment to the total development of student-athletes, make her the ideal person to lead our program. She joins an incredible staff of head coaches at the UW and we are very pleased to welcome her."

"Tia is destined to be a super star. She has it all...she's outgoing, she's an incredible recruiter and she's great with people. Washington is one fortunate university." Gail Goestenkors, University of Texas Head Coach

During her coaching career, Jackson spent six seasons as an assistant on the West Coast. During the 1999-2000 season, she served under Tara VanDerveer at Stanford and helped lead the Cardinal to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She then spent five seasons at UCLA as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Coach Kathy Olivier. During her time at UCLA, she was responsible for attracting two nationally-ranked top-10 recruiting classes that included four McDonald's and/or WBCA All-America selections.

"Everywhere Tia has coached, every program Tia has touched, has excelled because of her. It warms my heart to know she has been given this opportunity and I am extremely proud of her." C. Vivian Stringer, Rutgers University Head Coach

"There is a great women's basketball tradition at Washington that the coaches before me have worked hard to build. I'm excited to present a style of basketball that will stimulate the Husky fanbase and push our program to the top of the Pac-10 and toward our goal of a national championship."

A 1995 graduate of the University of Iowa, Jackson played for C. Vivian Stringer, the first coach to lead three different schools to the NCAA Final Four and a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. She helped lead the Hawkeyes to four top-25 rankings in five seasons before earning her bachelor's degree in media studies and film, emphasizing in television production and editing.

"WOW! The University of Washington hit a home run in hiring Tia Jackson. I think she's the perfect fit for the University and the great City of Seattle. Congratulations." Linn Dunn, Former Seattle Storm Head Coach

Upon graduation, Jackson accepted a position as an assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth. Following her first year as an assistant at VCU, she was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury and played in the WNBA's inaugural season in 1997. Jackson averaged 2.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 28 games and helped lead the Mercury to a conference title under Olympian and Basketball Hall of Fame honoree Cheryl Miller. During her time with the Mercury, Jackson was a teammate to two-time Olympian and Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman.

A native of Salisbury, Md., Jackson was a honorable mention high school All-America selection for Mardela Springs High School after scoring 3,108 points during her prep career under the tutelage of coach Barbara McCool.