The search for a new head football coach and athletic director at Escambia County High School officially ended Thursday when the Escambia County Board of Education accepted the recommendation of a six-member search committee and hired Aliceville High’s Rico Jackson to fill the vacancy.
Jackson, who led the Yellow Jackets to the 2016 Class 2A finals, was one of 64 applicants for the job.
Jackson, who will officially take charge of ECHS athletic programs next Wednesday, March 1, had been at the helm of the Aliceville program for two years. According to information posted on the Alabama High School Football Historical Society website, his coaching record at the school was 19-7.
Aliceville earned a postseason berth in Jackson’s first year at the helm. Last season the Jackets lost their first game, then reeled off 13 straight wins before dropping a 28-0 decision to Fyffe in the state title game.
Prior to taking the Aliceville job, Jackson coached for three years at Fairfield High, where his Tigers went 16-14 and did not reach the postseason.