The Story

For first-year Northwest Christian University basketball coach Luke Jackson, the gym has always been full of love-hate relationships, ups and downs, pains and pleasures. An All-American forward at the University of Oregon, Jackson’s playing career was cut short by injury and now he’s returned to the Willamette Valley to start his climb to the top for a second time.

“[Basketball] has brought me a lot of joy, it’s also brought me a lot of pain,” Jackson said. “I’ve had a lot of injuries, but at the same time experienced a lot of great things.”

To fully understand Jackson’s life through basketball, one must go back to his roots in Creswell, Ore., a town of just over 5,000 people that sits a mere 12 miles from Eugene. Jackson carried the Creswell High School Bulldogs to a state championship in 2000 and earned class AAA player of the year honors twice during his high school career.

“He put us on the map,” said former Creswell City Councilman A.J. O’Connell. “His success has allowed us to be known for producing great athletes. He gave the city kind of a nice legacy, a favored son if you might.”

Jackson’s on-court success earned him an athletic scholarship just up the freeway with the Oregon Ducks. His 2001-02 freshman season saw him team up with sophomore Luke Ridnour and senior Freddie Jones to lead Oregon to its first Pac-10 Conference championship since 1945.

“[Jackson] came in right away believing he could make a difference,” said Oregon radio play-by-play announcer Jerry Allen. “I never felt like he was a freshman.

Led by Ridnour and Jackson, Oregon made the NCAA Tournament again in 2003 but lost in the first round. After Ridnour chose to forgo his senior season for the NBA draft, the Ducks were relegated to the second-tier National Invitational Tournament in 2004.

Yet it was in that NIT bracket that Jackson’s most prolific game as a Duck came to fruition.

Trailing by 17 points at home against the Colorado Buffaloes, Jackson scored 29 points in a row in the second half, including a game-tying basket with under 10 seconds remaining in regulation. Oregon would go on to win in overtime in front of a delirious home crowd, putting a crown on Jackson’s prolific college career.

“It was going to be the last game of our career for the seniors, so it was an emotional game, and to be down that many was just a huge burden on our shoulders,” Jackson said. “There was so much emotion in the gym, and I think that’s one of those things that sticks with someone that has experienced something like that. It will always be special to me.”

After the conclusion of his senior season, Jackson was selected 10th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2004 NBA draft. Jackson was quickly hampered by injuries, including two slipped discs in his back and a completely torn hamstring. He played in less than 30 percent of the Cavaliers’ games in his first two seasons before being traded to the Boston Celtics.

From there, Jackson played for a litany of NBA and other professional teams, tallying 11 different stops during his playing career. After playing in the Israeli Basketball Super League in 2011, his once-promising career was over, taken down injury and bad timing.

Even though his playing career didn’t resemble near the success many – including Jackson – thought he’d have, the 32-year-old considers himself blessed to have had the opportunity to live out his dream, “stealing money” to do what he loved.

“I’ve had a lot injuries, but at the same time experienced great things,” Jackson said. “I’m so thankful that even a silly game where you put a leather ball through an iron rim can allow me to have friendships and learn so many valuable lessons like teamwork, responsibility, and accountability.”

With his playing career behind him, Jackson looked to coaching as a way to stay involved in the basketball world. His opportunity came in February, 2013, when he was tabbed by NCU to be the tenth head coach in the school’s 118-year history.

Once hired, Jackson immediately set out to build his roster for the 2013-14 basketball season. The Willamette Valley native was able to quickly attract talent from the region, bringing in former South Eugene High School star Spencer Coleman along with Austin Kuemper and Coleton Baker, the latter two transferring from the University of Oregon.

Jackson also hired veteran coach Fred Litzenberger, an Oregon assistant during Jackson’s four years there, to help guide the team and its first-year leader.

“My experience gives me a chance to help Luke in his first year as a head coach,” Litzenberger said. “I’m able to see problems before they happen and can help him understand when and why it is going to happen. “Then, we can talk about how we can handle each situation early on.”

For Jackson, the chance to coach represents a chance to bring the experiences and lessons of a life spent on the court to the next generation of players. He’s guided the Beacons to a 13-9 record through the end of January and has them on track for their first winning season since 2009.

For the community, Jackson’s early success represents another chapter in the story of a local boy made good. The Beacons played their first game of the season against Oregon at the Ducks’ Matthew Knight Arena – a stadium that Jackson’s successes helped build. Jackson received a standing ovation from the crowd as he began his new career in a palace bearing his likeness on the walls.

“To come back in a city, in a valley where people remember you as one of their heroes, I can’t imagine it getting any better than that,” Allen said. “To see a guy that had so much success here come back and take over a head coaching job…that’s the kind of stuff you can probably make a movie out of.”