Air Academy has tabbed seasoned former NCAA Division I, II and high school football coach Waymond Jackson II as the new head coach of its football team, according to a news release sent on Thursday.

The hiring of Jackson comes after the Kadets went 4-6 overall and a winless 0-4 in the 4A Pikes Peak league last season. Jackson replaces coach Scott Grinde, who led the program since 2016. 

A former defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Jackson takes pride in being able to lead players on and off the field. 

“My goal is to help our student athletes excel athletically, academically and personally. And my role as the head coach at Air Academy empowers me to do so year-round through the game of football. By elevating the standards of our program, we will help these young athletes grow and thrive long after high school football ends,” he said in the release. “I have been overwhelmed by the welcoming, talented group of young athletes I will have the privilege of coaching, and appreciate the support I’ve received already from the entire Kadet community.”

Jackson enters the position with more than 15 years of coaching experience across the collegiate and high school levels, notably coaching under Steve Spurrier at the University of South Carolina from 2007 to 2013. During that time, the Gamecocks beat top-ranked Alabama for the first time in school history and played in the 2010 SEC title game against Auburn. Jackson coached in four bowl games for South Carolina.

Working with linebackers, he coached five future NFL athletes, including the Dallas Cowboys' DeVonte Holloman. 

Since his time at South Carolina, Jackson made stops at high schools and Division II colleges across the country in Colorado, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. He coached at Gateway high school in Aurora from 2013 to 2014. Most recently, Jackson was a defensive coordinator at Gwinnett County Public Schools in Suwanee, Ga. 

“Coach Jackson’s credentials are exceptional and his approach to the game of football is well-rounded in a way that gives our community the utmost confidence that he will take our program in an exciting direction,” Kali Maxwell, Air Academy High School Athletic Director and Assistant Principal said in a release. “He has already demonstrated thoughtful dedication to our student athletes, athletes’ families, school and larger community, including creating a strategic plan to coach student athletes at a holistic level on and off the field.”