USF Athletics

Yolisha Jackson joined the University of South Florida women's basketball staff as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in July of 2020. Jackson is responsible for working with the program's centers and power forwards, while also overseeing the Bulls' recruiting efforts. In March of 2022, Jackson was named to The Advancement of Blacks In Sports' Watch List as one of the top up-and-coming black assistant coaches in the country. 
 
During her first season with the Bulls, Jackson helped to lead South Florida to unprecedented success as the program won its first American Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament title, en route to its seventh NCAA Tournament and 16th postseason appearance.
 
Under her guidance, Bethy Mununga, a Katrina McClain Award Candidate as the nation’s top power forward, was a force to be reckoned with offensively and defensively. The former two-time junior college All-American was fourth on the team in scoring, and paced the team – and The American – on the glass, grabbing 12.9 rebounds per game. Her rebounds per game average were also third in the nation, while her total rebounds (297) were first in the AAC and 10th nationally. In addition, her 4.4 offensive rebounds per contest were first in the conference and 11th in Division I, and her 8.5 defensive rebounds per outing were first in The American and 10th in the nation.  
 
In her second year, Jackson continued to develop Mununga while adding a second all-conference player to the Bulls' arsenal in Memphis transfer Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu.
 
For the second-straight season, Mununga was named to the Preseason Katrina McClain Award Watch List and eventually was named a finalist for the award after averaging 10.6 points and 11.5 rebounds per game on the year. She was the only player in The American to average a double-double and her total rebounds (378) were first in the conference and fifth in the nation while her rebound-per-game average was tops in The American and 11th in Division I. At the end of the season, Mununga was tabbed a Second Team All-Conference selection and was also named to the American Athletic Conference All-Tournament Team. 
 
In just 85 career games with the Bulls, Mununga grabbed 967 career rebounds, third on the school’s all-time rebounding chart, and was just 33 rebounds from becoming the third player in school history to grab 1,000 career boards. Her career rebounding average (11.4 rpg), is also first in program history.
 
Fankam Mendjiadeu, in her first season with the Bulls, finished third on the team in scoring and second in rebounding, averaging 10.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, respectively. Her total rebounds (235) were seventh in the AAC and rebounds per game, were ninth. Fankam Mendjiadeu, like her former front-court teammate Mununga, was also named Second Team All-Conference for her efforts on the season.
 
Jackson replaced former assistant Jesyka Burks-Wiley, who left to become the head coach at Florida International University. She came to South Florida after spending seven years at South Alabama as an assistant coach, including the 2019-20 campaign as associate head coach.
 
While in Mobile, Jackson helped to guide the Jaguars to two 20-win seasons over the past three years, and two national postseason appearances - the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (2018-19) and the Women’s Basketball Invitational (2017-18). USA’s 25 wins in 2018-19 were the most recorded in program history.
 
In addition to South Alabama team success, Jackson helped mold two of the top post players in the Sun Belt Conference in Antoinette Lewis and Chyna Ellis.
 
Under Jackson’s tutelage, Lewis averaged 13.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per outing during 2019-20, while also recording 61 blocked shots and 44 steals en route to All-Sun Belt Conference Second-Team honors.
 
The only player in the Sun Belt to average a double-double on the year, Lewis led the league and finished 16th nationally with 16 double-doubles in 2019-20. Lewis was second in the Sun Belt and among the top 35 in the country in rebounding (10.1 rpg) and ranked second in the nation, and tops in the Sun Belt, in offensive rebounds per game (5.0 orpg). Lewis also finished second in the conference and among the top 45 nationally in blocks per game (1.91 bpg).
 
Ellis became the all-time blocks leader in Sun Belt history during the 2017-18 season, as she was just the fourth Jaguar ever — and first since the 1989-90 campaign — to record a triple-double. She also was selected as the Sun Belt’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career, as she set a new single-season mark for blocks for the second straight year while becoming the first Jag to eclipse the 100-block mark after ending the year with 107. Behind her efforts, South Alabama led the nation in blocks with 254.
 
Before her time at South Alabama, Jackson spent three seasons at the United States Air Force Academy, serving as the recruiting coordinator and was primarily responsible for the Falcons’ post players. In her first season at the Academy in 2010-11, Jackson helped the program to the second-most conference wins in its Division-I history after the program had not won a Mountain West Conference game the previous two seasons.
 
Jackson arrived at the Academy in 2010 after spending five seasons at Kennesaw State University, where she served as the recruiting coordinator for the Lady Owls during her final three seasons. Jackson helped KSU’s transition to Division I from Division II while in Kennesaw, and during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons, she helped the program to the most wins in its Division I history (15).
 
Jackson’s strong recruiting efforts assisted in the Lady Owls’ increasing their talent over her three years as recruiting coordinator. Her 2009 class ranked as the top recruiting class in the Atlantic Sun. Her 2010 recruiting class consisted of future unanimous A-Sun Freshman of the Year Taylor Mills. Jackson was also responsible for recruiting and coaching Atlantic Sun Player of the Year Britteny Henderson (2007-08) and A-Sun All-Freshman selections Rosetta Hollis (2006-07), Brandi Jones (2009-10), and Sametria Gideon (2009-10).
 
During the 2005-06 season, Jackson coached All-Atlantic Sun selection Shavonder Clarke, a junior college transfer who scored more than 1,000 points in two years at KSU. In 2007-08, Jackson coached Atlantic Sun Defensive Player of the Year Greteya Kelley.
 
Jackson arrived at KSU in 2005 after a successful playing career at Jacksonville University. She became the second player in JU history to score over 1,000 points for her career, finishing with 1,070. She also left the Dolphins as the single-season record holder for points per game, free throws made and free throws attempted, as well as career free throws made (325). Jackson was an Atlantic Sun Academic All-Conference selection and two-time team MVP but had her career limited by a pair of knee injuries suffered in her junior year and the latter half of her senior season.
 
Jackson is a member of both the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and the Black Coaches Association.
 
Jackson, a native of Clarksville, Tenn., received her bachelor’s degree from Jacksonville in physical education in 2005 and her master’s of science degree from South Alabama in 2019. She is the daughter of Austin Peay State Hall of Famer Howard Jackson.
 
Jackson is the proud mother of her daughter, Zoey, born in April of 2021.