NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana announced Thursday that men's basketball head coach Dannton Jackson has left the school to become an assistant coach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
     Jackson, 46, is joining the staff of UAB coach Rob Ehsan, who was promoted April 4 to that position to succeed Jerod Haase, now the head coach at Stanford.
     "The Xavier family and Team Gold congratulate Dannton Jackson on his new opportunity," said XU Director of Athletics and Recreation Jason Horn. "We thank him for his numerous accomplishments and contributions to the Gold Rush basketball program. We are confident that in his new role he will excel and represent his alma mater, Xavier, well. Best wishes to Dannton and Sion."
     Jackson's XU teams were 294-130 in 13 seasons, winning nearly 70 percent of their games and averaging 22.6 victories per season. He is the winningest coach in the program's history. The Gold Rush reached 20 victories 11 times, won five Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championships — including 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 — and qualified for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship 10 times, including each of the past six seasons. Jackson is the only XU men's basketball coach to reach the NAIA's national tournament more than three times, and his 10 appearances at nationals are the most in GCAC history. The Gold Rush were 27-6 in 2010-11, the program's winningest season since 1940-41.
     Jackson is one of three Louisiana men's basketball coaches to reach 20 victories 10 times — the others were hall-of-famers Fred Hobdy of Grambling (14) and Dale Brown of LSU (10).
     Jackson in 2013-14 became the first to be chosen GCAC Coach of the Year in men's basketball three consecutive seasons. Also that season, Jackson was chosen Louisiana Small College Coach of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches. In 2012 he was a court coach for the USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team.
     The Gold Rush were 21-13 in 2015-16, finishing second in the GCAC Tournament for the second consecutive year and losing 69-68 in overtime to then-fourth-ranked Lewis-Clark State in the first round at nationals. The XU men tied a school record with their sixth consecutive 20-win season and ranked second in NAIA Division I in field-goal percentage defense (.390) and third in scoring defense (64.1).
     Jackson also served Xavier as a men's basketball assistant coach from 1998-2002, women's basketball assistant coach from 1993-97, head coach of men's and women's cross country from 1994-96 and interim athletic director in 2004 and 2013-14. He spent one season (1997-98) as a men's basketball assistant coach at Virginia State University.
     UAB was 26-7 in 2015-16, won the Conference USA regular-season championship and qualified for the National Invitation Tournament. The Blazers have reached 20 victories 23 times and made 15 NCAA Tournament appearances. Teams UAB has beaten in the NCAA Tournament include Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan State and LSU.
     Xavier will conduct a national search to replace Jackson.