Coach Petra Jackson

The St. Louis Surge Women’s Semi-Professional Basketball team is proud to announce the hiring of Petra Jackson as the new assistant coach for the 2013 season. Jackson, a St. Louis local, had a playing career that stemmed from University City High School to Southern Illinois University (SIU).

Jackson spent three seasons as the head coach at Shoreline Community College in Seattle, Washington, where she posted a 45-32 record. Under her direction, the team posted its first 20-win season and earned votes in the NWAACC coaches poll. In 2003-04, Jackson was nominated for the WBCA Region 8 Coach of the Year after leading Shoreline to its first playoff appearance and a second place finish in the league.

Jackson was a standout guard at Southern Illinois University from 1982 to 1986. She finished her SIU career with 1,475 points and still ranks fourth on the all-time Saluki scoring list. Jackson holds the school record for career field goals made at 650 and is fourth on the all-time steals chart with 189. She was a first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection as a senior and also was the recipient of the Paul Roberson Award from SIU. Her teammates voted her Most Valuable Player. In 1991, she was inducted into the Southern Illinois University Hall of Fame. After her collegiate playing days, Jackson played professional basketball in the Women’s Basketball Association from 1993 to 1995.

Jackson began her coaching career in 1988 as an assistant coach at Harris-Stowe University. In 1992, she became the head coach for girls’ basketball at Block Yeshiva High School in St. Louis. After six seasons in the high school ranks, Jackson earned her first collegiate head coach position when she was tabbed to guide the programs at St. Louis Community College - Forest Park in 1998. Her 1999-2000 team placed second in regionals.

As a high school star at University City, she earned three letters in each of the sports of basketball, volleyball, softball and track and field.