Jon Jackson - Deputy Director of Athletics/External Affairs - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Jon Jackson

Title:
Deputy Director of Athletics/External Affairs
Email:
Phone:
(919) 684-2624

Jon Jackson serves as Deputy Director of Athletics at Duke University, overseeing the department’s External Affairs division, which includes Blue Devil Network (live event production), Communications, Creative Services, Marketing and Promotions, and Ticket Operations. He also manages Duke’s relationship with its multimedia rights partner, Learfield, and serves as the primary sport administrator for the nationally prominent men’s lacrosse program. In his current role, Jackson is centrally involved in advancing Duke Athletics’ revenue strategy, leading initiatives in sponsorship development, media rights optimization, brand monetization, ticketing growth, and fan engagement.

From 2018–24, Jackson was Duke’s primary administrator for men’s basketball, coordinating and supervising all aspects of program operations. In 2022, he chaired the men’s basketball head coach search committee and led the transition following the legendary 42-year tenure of Hall of Fame head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Jackson continues to oversee communications, media, and brand initiatives related to Krzyzewski’s legacy.

Jackson was appointed Deputy Director of Athletics in October 2018 after serving as Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs beginning in 2013. In that role, he led a staff of more than 40 professionals across digital and social media, marketing and promotions, media relations, ticket operations, and video production.

Earlier in his Duke tenure, Jackson served as the department’s primary liaison to campus communications leadership and as the sport administrator for wrestling. During that period, Duke Wrestling achieved its highest NCAA Championship finish in program history and recorded its five best NCAA placements from 2014–18 as a non-scholarship program. In 2012, he coordinated the search that resulted in the hiring of Glen Lanham, the first African American head coach in Duke Athletics history.

Now more than two decades into his Duke career, Jackson arrived in Durham in January 2000 as Sports Information Director. Prior to Duke, he served as Assistant Athletics Director for Communications at Southern Methodist University, following intern and student roles at the University of Florida and Penn State University. He also interned with the United States Olympic Committee in 1990.

A native of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Jackson graduated with distinction from Penn State in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communications.

Updated March 3, 2026