Fred Jackson (American football coach)
For over three decades, he was the trusted architect of Michigan's punishing ground game, mentoring a legion of star running backs.
Born 1950 (age 76)·American football player and coach·Birthday: June 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
Fred Jackson's football life is woven into the fabric of the University of Michigan. A star quarterback at Jackson State in the 1970s, he transitioned to coaching, bringing a player's understanding and a fiery intensity to the sideline. Hired by Gary Moeller in 1992, Jackson became the constant, through multiple head coaches, in the Wolverines' backfield. He didn't just coach running backs; he sculpted them. His pupils—from Tyrone Wheatley and Tim Biakabutuka to Mike Hart and Chris Perry—formed the heart of Michigan's offensive identity, known for tough, between-the-tackles running. Jackson's two tenures in Ann Arbor, split by a brief stint at Yale, bookend some of the program's greatest triumphs, including national championships in 1997 and 2023. More than a strategist, he was a cultivator of talent and a bridge between eras, his voice a familiar, demanding one in the ears of generations of Michigan ball carriers.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Fred was born in 1950, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Fred Was Born
The biggest hits of 1950
#1 Movie
Cinderella
Best Picture
All About Eve
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Fred's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1950Born
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1955Started school
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1963Became a teenager
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Could drive
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1968Could vote
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Turned 21
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1980Turned 30
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 40
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 50
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 60
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 70
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 76 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served on the Michigan coaching staff for two national championship teams (1997 and 2023).
- Mentored five Michigan running backs who became first-round NFL Draft picks.
- Helped develop the 1997 offense that featured Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson and a dominant running game.
Did You Know?
He was a standout college quarterback at Jackson State, where he was a teammate of NFL legend Walter Payton.
Jackson is known for his energetic and vocal coaching style on the practice field.
He returned to Michigan in 2022 after head coach Jim Harbaugh specifically sought to bring back the experienced coach.
“A quarterback must see the whole field; a running back sees only the hole.”
