Courtesy of Alabama State Athletics
MONTGOMERY, Ala. | When the Alabama State women’s basketball team opens the 2025-26 season in November, the HBCU will have a new head coach for the first time in 27 years.
“Coach Freda Freeman Jackson’s 27 years of unwavering dedication at Alabama State University has shaped the future of countless student-athletes,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Dr. Jason Cable. “Her remarkable achievements, including multiple SWAC championships, induction into the SWAC Hall Fame, and the Alabama State Hall of Fame, speak to her talent, passion, and leadership. Her legacy will inspire generations to come. Thank you for your phenomenal impact; you are an Alabama State treasure!”
Freda Freeman-Jackson, who has led the program since 1998-99, announced through a press release on Tuesday, March 25, that she would step down as the Lady Hornets’ head coach. The announcement ended a run that is unparalleled in ASU athletics. “As I stand here, reflecting on this incredible journey at Alabama State University, my heart is full of gratitude,” she said. “This program, this university, and this community have been my home, family, and purpose for so many years.
“Hornet Nation, you are one of a kind. Your energy, passion, and unwavering support fueled us every step of the way. This program is what it is because of you.” Freeman-Jackson led the HBCU program to 373 wins, three Southwestern Conference regular season titles, four conference tournament titles, and three trips to the NCAA tournament. She also led one team to the WNIT.
Record breaker
With Freeman-Jackson at the helm, Alabama State made its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament during the 2002-03 season when the Hornets won the regular season title with a 20-11 record and 15-3 in conference play. They won the conference tournament and would face eventual NCAA runner-up Tennessee in the first round.
She followed the next year with a record-breaking 108th victory, the most in women’s basketball history at the school. The Hornets returned to the NCAA Tourney in back-to-back years in 2014-15 and again in 2015-16. In 2011, Freeman-Jackson posted her 200th career win and four years later her 250th career win. Freeman-Jackson coached 29 players who earned All-SWAC honors in her career, plus two SWAC Players of the Year in Britney Wright (2016-17) and Ayana Emmanuel (2022-23).
In 2019, Freeman-Jackson was inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame, joining her husband, Lewis, as the only active members still coaching in the conference at the time. She was inducted into the Alabama State Athletics Hall of Fame four years later.
After competing with the Hornets as an HBCU basketball player between 1982 and 1984, Freeman-Jackson began her coaching career at the high school level at Loachapoka. She would join Johnny Mitchell’s staff as an ASU graduate assistant and then as an assistant to her predecessor, Ron Mitchell. She took over in 1998-99 and immediately led the Lady Hornets to a SWAC Tournament championship.