The Raiders Tirol, of the European League of Football, have signed veteran coach Malik Jackson to be the team’s defensive coordinator.
Jackson joins head coach Kevin Herron as the Innsbruck, Austria-based raiders hope to return to the ELF playoffs in 2023.
The California native has spent the last two seasons as head coach of the Krakow Kings in Poland, helping them reach the title game this past season. Jackson like also spent time with the Leipzig Kings of the European League of Football in 2021 helping coach their defense. Now Jackson hopes to develop elite Dutch talent and compete at a international level:
Jackson first came to Europe coaching with the Carlstad Crusaders of Sweden alongside current UC Davis (NCAA D1 FCS) head coach Dan Hawkins and Kirk Heidelberg. Jackson and Crusaders finished the season with 17-1 record and were Swedish national champions while also winning the European club title. From there, Jackson spent the next four seasons coaching in Switzerland, Serbia, and Germany, winning a Swiss championship with the Bern Grizzlies in 2016. The experience of moving around Europe and coaching has been something Jackson never imagined after spending so much time in California.
Before taking his coaching talents abroad, Jackson spent 12 years coaching at the City College of San Francisco, winning four national championships with one of the nation’s top Junior College football programs. Jackson, along with other assistants, got the chance to learn from legendary George Rush, who finished his career with 326 wins, the most of any coach in junior college football history.
The Raiders have had an active off-season and have announced the re-signing of several key defensive players including Julian Perfler, Ruben Seeber, Vincent Muller, and Nico Melcher. However, Jackson and coach Herron have yet to sign any import defenders.