Drew Williamson on Jason Jackson's future: He couldn't have done any more perfect of a job

Alabama baseball saw its season come to an end Sunday with a Super Regional loss to Wake Forest, and now the question becomes whether it should hire interim coach Jason Jackson for the official role. If you ask Crimson Tide players Drew Williamson and Jim Jarvis, the answer is an easy one.

“He couldn’t have done any more perfect of a job,” Williamson said postgame after the loss to the Demon Deacons. “I can say honestly that I would go to war for this guy. I’ve loved the time that I’ve got to spend playing for him and I hope that somebody will give him a shot somewhere else because they will not regret it. He’s a great dude, great coach. Just great all around and I really enjoyed having him.”

If that weren’t clear enough, Williamson made his endorsement for Alabama to keep Jackson later on in the press conference.

“I don’t get to make any hiring decisions, but if I did, I promise you this would be my guy,” he said. “I’ll say that.”

Jackson took over in May after coach Brad Bohannon was fired amidst a gambling scandal. Prior to that, he had been the team’s pitching coach for the past five seasons.

Not only did Jason Jackson help Alabama stay afloat in the little more than a month of his interim tenure, but he led the team to a 13-6 record and its first Super Regional appearance since 1999. After winning a pair of SEC Tournament games, the Crimson Tide earned a bid to host their first Regional in 17 years and breezed through with a 3-0 record. Unfortunately, they ran into the No. 1 seed in Wake Forest, who proved too much.

More than the success on the field, however, Jackson showed an ability to deliver the right message to his players through the adversity. That’s something Jarvis won’t forget, saying he now has a lifelong friendship with the coach.

“We were in, as you can imagine, quite a big pickle,” the senior infielder said. “From the first day, he stepped up and was just a perfect, perfect leader. Kept everyone on the right line. Made sure everyone was aware of the goal and never let anyone get too far away from that. I try to be as steady as possible, but sometimes in games if I get a little too emotional or out of line, he’s the first guy that’s able to bring me back.

“I can’t say enough about him. I’m a little upset I didn’t get to spend more time around him in my time here, but I know for a fact that I’ll stay in touch with you. Maybe a little too much. We don’t get here without him.”

It remains to be seen what happens with Jackson’s future at Alabama. Regardless, he proved himself and has the support of his players no matter what happens.