The College of New Jersey Athletics

Entering Ninth Year as TCNJ Head Coach in 2025-26

Alma Mater: Williams College '11
Hometown: Goleta, Calif.
Education: B.A. Political Science; M.S. Exercise and Sports Studies, Smith College

AWARDS AND HONORS

• 3-time NJAC Coach of the Year (2018, 2022, 2024)
• D3hoops.com Atlantic Region Coach of the Year (2018)

Chessie Jackson enters her ninth year as TCNJ women's basketball head coach in 2025-26. The Lions have become a force in the New Jersey Athletic Conference under Jackson's leadership, advancing to five NJAC Championship games and winning one conference title during her tenure. She is a three-time NJAC Coach of the Year (2018, 2022, 2024), the 2017-18 D3hoops.com Atlantic Region Coach of the Year, has coached 22 All-Conference selections – including four major award winners – and has guided TCNJ to two NCAA Tournament appearances (2018, 2026).

Jackson's Lions made their long-awaited return to the top of the NJAC during the 2025-26 season, winning the program's fifth conference championship and first since 2008-09 to earn the NJAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The title run – Jackson's first – was capped off by a dominant performance against 23rd-ranked William Paterson in which TCNJ won 78-55, marking the Lions' first win over a ranked opponent since beating 22nd-ranked Montclair State in 2017-18. Amanda Baylock and Katie Fricker both earned All-Conference selections, marking the eighth time in nine seasons TCNJ has had multiple All-NJAC honorees under Jackson.

The Lions enjoyed one of their most successful seasons in 2024-25, finishing 21-6 with a 16-2 mark in NJAC play before narrowly falling to Montclair State in the conference championship. Nina Branchizio was named a Third Team CSC Academic All-American – the program's third overall and second coached by Jackson – and became the program's fourth NJAC Player of the Year. Grace Kowalski and Fricker joined Branchizio on the All-Conference teams.

Jackson reeled in her third and most recent NJAC Coach of the Year honor following the 2023-24 campaign in which she led TCNJ to an 18-9 record and a third conference championship game. The Lions were the only program to have three student-athletes earn All-NJAC recognition in four-time honoree Julia Setaro, Branchizio and Kowalski.

One year earlier Jackson's charges made a sixth straight trip to the NJAC semifinals in 2022-2023, taking top-seeded New Jersey City to overtime on the road before coming up just short to end their season with a 17-10 overall record. Setaro earned a third straight All-Conference Second Team nod while Branchizio made her debut with an Honorable Mention selection.

The Lions went on an exhilarating postseason run during the 2021-22 campaign, advancing all the way to the NJAC Championship game as the No. 8 seed before falling to New Jersey City, 58-52. Setaro was named to the All-NJAC Second Team, her second straight all-conference nod. 

Jackson coached TCNJ to a 9-1 record in the 2021 season, when the Lions advanced to the NJAC Semifinals for the fourth consecutive season. She coached Shannon Devitt to WBCA First Team All-America honors, which marked the first All-American for the program since Hillary Klimowicz in 2008-09. Devitt was also named D3hoops.com Second Team All-Atlantic Region, NJAC Defensive Player of the Year, and First Team All-NJAC. Jackson led three of her players to All-NJAC honors in Devitt, Setaro, and Elle Cimilluca.

In her first season, Jackson led the Lions to 22 wins and the team's first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2008-09 season. 

Jackson came to TCNJ from Princeton University, where she served as assistant basketball coach for the Tigers since June of 2015. She has also been an assistant coach at Smith College and the University of Rochester, following her playing career at Williams College.
 
While serving on the coaching staff at Princeton, Jackson assisted with recruiting, scouting, on-court skill sessions, and daily administrative duties. The Tigers enjoyed a historic season in 2015-16, compiling a record of 23-6 and becoming the first Ivy League basketball program to receive an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament. 
 
At Smith College, Jackson was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, while also serving on the Athletics Leadership Development Program. She also coordinated recruiting at the University of Rochester along with her coaching responsibilities.
 
Jackson was a four-year starter at Williams College and was named captain her senior year. She ranks fourth all-time in program history in points (1,346) and ninth in rebounding (635). Jackson was a first-team All-NESCAC selection in 2010-11 and was also named Williams College Women’s Basketball Most Valuable Player. The Ephs made two NCAA appearances during her tenure and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen her junior season.
 
After graduating with a bachelor of arts in political science with a concentration in leadership studies, Jackson became a graduate assistant coach at Smith College, where she earned her master’s of science in exercise and sports studies.
 
Jackson hails from Goleta, California where she attended Dos Pueblos High School.

Follow TCNJ Women's Basketball on Social Media
Twitter: @TCNJWB
Instagram: @tcnjwbb
 

	Overall			NJAC			Postseason
Year	Wins	Losses	Pct.	Wins	Losses	Pct.
2017-18	22	7	.759	15	3	.833	NJAC Finals / NCAA Second Round
2018-19	17	9	.654	15	3	.833	NJAC Semifinals
2019-20	16	11	.593	12	6	.667	NJAC Semifinals
2020-21	9	1	.900	8	0	1.000	NJAC Semifinals
2021-22	14	13	.519	8	10	.444	NJAC Finals
2022-23	17	10	.630	11	7	.611	NJAC Semifinals
2023-24	18	9	.667	14	4	.778	NJAC Finals
2024-25	21	6	.778	16	2	.889	NJAC Finals
2025-26	17	11	.607	14	4	.778	NJAC Champions / NCAA First Round
TOTAL	151	77	.662	113	39	.743	1 NJAC Championship, 2 NCAA Appearances