Skip Navigation

Head Coach | Freda Freeman-Jackson

Freda Freeman-Jackson enters her 25th season as the head coach of the Alabama State University women’s basketball program, when the 2022-23 season begins.

Jackson joined an illustrious group when she was selected, and later inducted, into the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Hall of Fame during the 2019 academic year. At the time of her induction, she was alongside her husband Lewis as the only two active members coaching in the conference. Jackson became the 19th inductee into the SWAC Hall of Fame from Alabama State.\

She has led Alabama State to three conference championships, and three berths in the NCAA Tournament during her career.

Last season with a conference only schedule, Jackson led the Lady Hornets to a 16-4 record and a number two seed in the SWAC standings. She coached another Freshman of the Year in Farrah Pearson, along with two First Team All-SWAC performers in Ayana Emmanuel and Shmya Ward, who both averaged 16.4 points per game and helped Alabama State to an 8-1 at home.

In the 2019-20 season, the Lady Hornets qualified for the 2020 SWAC Basketball Tournament yet again under Jackson. During the 2018-19 season, Jackson joined an elite group when she recorded her 300th career coaching victory at Alabama State. She now stands at 317 career victories over 22 seasons for the Lady Hornets.

In the 2017-18 season, Jackson led a young Alabama State team to a sixth-place finish in the conference while starting as many as three freshmen in the lineup. She coached Freshman of the Year Ayana Emmanuel through the season, leading the team in scoring.

During the 2016-17 season, the Lady Hornets finished third in the regular season conference race with a 12-6 SWAC record, before falling in the semifinals of the tournament to Texas Southern. However, Jackson coached the SWAC Player of the Year in Britney Wright who finished her career as the second leading scorer in school history. That same season, Wright was named the BOXTOROW National Player of the Year and SWAC Player of the Year, averaging a league-leading 18.3 points per game. The senior became the school’s second-leading scorer in school history with 12 first quarter points in her final home game, while she is fourth at the school in rebounding. Wright also leads the school in free throws made, free throws attempted, steals and games played. She is also in the top five in school history in field goals made, field goals attempted, field goal percentage, three-point field goals made, rebounding average.

The senior led the conference in free throw shooting (.802), was fourth in rebounding in the conference, seventh in field goal percentage (.439), eighth in minutes played (32.8), 12th in three-point field goal percentage (.278) and 13th in three-point field goals made (1.1) in the regular season.

Additionally, she has produced some of Alabama State’s best players. She coached the second leading all-time scorer Shameka Jackson; one of ASU’s all-time leading rebounder Crystal Kitt; as well as 1,000-plus point scorers Chrishutta Lewis, Nichole Miller and Tanika Jackson.  Britney Wright was the latest player to join the 1,000-point club as a player under coach Freeman-Jackson in the 2015-16 season.   

The 2015-2016 campaign marked Freeman-Jackson and the Lady Hornets’ third SWAC Tournament title in over a decade and qualified them for their third NCAA tournament appearance since 2003. The Lady Hornets finished the season 19-12 overall and 14-4 in the SWAC. This past SWAC Tourney marked the team’s seventh appearance vying for a SWAC Title Championship.

Freeman-Jackson reached another milestone when she won her 250th career game in the 64-52 win against Alabama A&M during the 2015-16 campaign. 

Alabama State had had a winning record in three consecutive seasons, winning 16, 17 and 19 games in successive seasons.

During 2010-11, ASU was not able to neither reach nor surpass their previous goal with a first round lost to the defending champions Southern. In the 2009-10 season, the Lady Hornets reached the SWAC Championship game against Southern, before falling 60-47.

Looking back at her best campaign based on their record was the 2001-2002 season. The Lady Hornets posted a 23-7 overall record and 15-3 in the SWAC. They won the regular season title, but lost to Southern University in the Conference Championship game. The 2002-2003 season is her most decorated. That year the Lady Hornets posted a 20-11 regular season record and a SWAC record of 15-3. They won the programs second SWAC tournament title and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time. Coach Freeman-Jackson was also awarded the SWAC Coach of the Year after two straight years of excellent basketball seasons. 

In the next season, Jackson set the school record for most career victories with 108 on February 28, 2004. That same season she led the Lady Hornets to a consecutive regular season titles, proving that her transformation of the women’s basketball program was well in place. In 2011, she crossed a personal milestone by posting her 200th career win vs. Jackson State on March 3, 2011.

In 1991, Jackson became the head girls coach at Loachapoka High School. In her first season at LHS, she broke the school’s three-year losing streak by winning her first five games of the season. Two years later, the Lady Indians competed in their first regional championship and she was named Southeast Coach of the Year.

She began her coaching career at Alabama State, where she was a graduate assistant under Johnny Mitchell and then an assistant coach under her predecessor, the late Ron Mitchell. During her playing days, Jackson was a stellar forward for the Lady Hornets from 1982 to 1984. In her senior season, she earned First Team All-SWAC honors.

She is married to Lewis Jackson, former letterwinner and head men’s basketball coach at Alabama State. They have one daughter, Bianca, who plays for defending national champion South Carolina women’s basketball.