Before coming to Michigan, Jackson coached at the University of Toledo (1979–1981), the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1982–1986), the United States Naval Academy (1987), the University of South Carolina (1988), Purdue University (1989–1990), and Vanderbilt University (1991). Jackson is a resident of Ann Arbor, Michigan. His son, Jeremy Jackson, was a sophomore wide receiver on the 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team.