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Current Home:

December 11, 1955 in Reading, PA

Seattle Univeristy, 1978 Graduate

Reading High School, Reading, PA

6' 5"

220 lbs

West Vancouver

Career Highlights:

In five short years, British Columbians have discovered that basketball's emissary is Stu Jackson. With a distinguished and varied career as a player, coach and businessman, Stu was the first person hired by the expansion Grizzlies in 1994 and he has quickly overcome the challenge of introducing the NBA to Vancouver and building an expansion franchise from the ground. 

It is Stu's business acumen and inspired passion for the game of basketball that has shaped the Grizzlies philosophy of building a championship team through a youthful foundation. 

During the summer of 1999 Stu crafted the largest trade in NBA history adding Antoine Carr, Michael Dickerson, Othella Harrington, Brent Price and
future first and second round picks in a three-way deal with Houston and Orlando. The trade, coupled with the signing of free agents Dennis Scott and Grant Long is congruent with the building philosophy of the Grizzlies franchise. These players will join a nucleus that includes the NBA's fourth leading scorer in the 1998-99 season, small forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim (drafted third overall in 1996), Mike Bibby (second overall 1998), who first among rookies and thirteenth in the league in assists, and Bryant "Big Country" Reeves (sixth overall, 1995). 

Stu also created a vision for the Vancouver Grizzlies off the court. The team has successfully made positive inroads throughout British Columbia with Grizzlies community programs, enhancing the lives of children, educating the province's youth and supporting the development of basketball. 

Stu's front office presence ensures Grizzlies players work in their community, building ties that go beyond the nights on the court at General Motors Place. Stu, 44, also serves as president of the Grizzlies Foundation and participates in all of the Grizzlies charitable and educational endeavours including TeamUp, Read to Succeed and Future Grads. 

Stu has had a hand in shaping all aspects of the organization from marketing strategy to player acquisitions, financial management, team operations and setting strategic and financial goals. Originally hired by the Grizzlies as vice-president of basketball operations and general manager, Stu was promoted to president and general manager less than a year later. Stu also coached the Grizzlies briefly during the 1996-97 season, when he replaced inaugural head coach Brian Winters for the team's final 39 games of the season, compiling a 6-33 record as interim head coach. 

Stu's long trail of basketball success began many years before he was appointed president and general manager for the Grizzlies in July of 1994. Stu previously coached the University of Wisconsin Badgers, where he led the team to its first NCAA tournament berth and post-season tournament victory (over 25th ranked Cincinnati) in over 45 years. In two seasons (1992-93, 1993-94), Jackson guided the team to a 32-25 record and .561 winning percentage. 

The Badgers enjoyed great off-court success when attendance soared during Stu's tenure. During the 1994 season, every Wisconsin home game was sold out prior to the start of the season - a first in its history. The 11,500 average attendance was also the highest mark in 40 years. 

During the 1991-92 basketball season, Stu served as the NBA's director of basketball operations. He assisted in administering the league officiating staff, with team and player discipline and operational procedures relating to trades, player waivers and the Salary Cap. Stu also served as the NBA's liaison to USA Basketball for the 1992 Olympic Games and the debut of the Dream Team. 

At age 33, Stu was appointed as head coach of the New York Knicks, at the time the second-youngest head coach in the history of the NBA. It was his first head coaching job. Stu guided the Knicks to a 52-45 record during the 1989-90 regular season and the first 15 games of the 1990-91 campaign. In 1990, Stu led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference playoffs, upsetting the Boston Celtics 3 games to 2 in the first round, before losing 4-1 to eventual champion Detroit Pistons. Before being named head coach, Stu served two seasons as an assistant coach in New York under Rick Pitino, coach of the 1996 NCAA champion Kentucky Wildcats. The Knicks posted a 90-74 record during that period and qualified for the playoffs both seasons. 

Stu worked as an associate coach and head recruiting coordinator under Pitino at Providence College from 1985-87. The 1987 Friars advanced to the NCAA Final Four. 

Stu's first coaching position was in 1981-82 as a graduate assistant at the University of Oregon. He served as an assistant coach at Oregon in 1982-83 and at Washington State from 1983 to 1985. 

As a player with the Oregon Ducks in the mid-1970's, when the team was dubbed the Kamikaze Kids for its aggressive style of play, Stu played forward for three seasons. A knee injury forced him to sit out a season and he transferred to Seattle University where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration and management in 1978. 

Following his graduation, Stu worked as a marketing representative with IBM in Los Angeles before his passion for basketball prompted him to join the Ducks as an assistant coach. 

Born and raised in Reading, Pa., Stu's current home is in West Vancouver where he lives with his wife, Dr. Janet Taylor, and their four daughters, Lauren, Erin, Taylor and Yanna. Jackson enjoys watching his daughters play soccer, tackling the North Shore trails with his mountain bike and snowboard and taking his chocolate lab, Jordan, for a walk.