January 2021 - 46

development through organizations such as the Values
Ambassadors and USAAC (Unionville Student-Athlete
Advisory Committee), and community education by
bringing in guest speakers and having community
book reads.
February
BJ Jackson, Athletic Director/
Head Basketball Coach, Legacy
Early College, Greenville, NC
Aside from his 300 career wins
April
Anthony Cracco, Athletic
Coordinator/Dean of Students/
Head Football Coach, W.C.
Mepham High School,
Bellmore, NY
Anthony Cracco won
this honor because he has
accomplished so much in his
career. He is currently the
athletic coordinator, attendance
dean, and head football coach for Mepham High School.
He is also a speaker and presenter for various football
clinics throughout the Tri-State area.
At 39 years old, Cracco is a driven and accomplished
coach and educator with more than 15 years of
experience. He has proven to be an inspirational
educational leader as well as a talented hardworking
football coach - working closely within the school
community of Bellmore educating parents on how to
support their children in the athletic setting.
March
Matt Carre, Athletic
Director/Head Football Coach,
Thomas McKean High School,
Wilmington, DE
Matt Carre earned his
Masters Degree in Coaching
and Athletic Administration
from Concordia UniversityIrvine
in 2016. He was selected
as one of the Head Football
Coaches for the 2019 DFRC Blue Gold All-Star Game
after winning coach of the year honors in 2019. He
serves on the Board of Directors of Athletics at Seeds
of Greatness Bible Church. In 2019 he joined the DIAA
Football Tournament Committee and, in 2020, he joined
the Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens Athletics
Committee. He was named a 2020 Delaware National
Guard Honorary Commander for his leadership in the
community. McKean High School has been selected as
a DIAA Sportsmanship Champion and as a National
Unified Champion School under his leadership.
Carre graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in
2007, where he was an All-Ivy League wide receiver for
the Quakers.
or more than 30 student-athletes
playing in college, BJ Jackson has
instituted policies that require
athletes to have an 80% average
in all classes to participate in
Legacy Athletics. As the head
varsity boys basketball coach, his team regularly meets this
standard and has attained the highest GPA among all athletic
department teams. Since his student-athletes are required
to meet higher academic standards, almost all of them
achieve the necessary eligibility requirement with the NCAA
clearinghouse to play and study at the collegiate level.
Furthermore, Jackson does not lose interest in his
players after they graduate from Legacy. The strong
relationships that he builds with his student-athletes
stand the test of time and extend well beyond their
graduation. Coach Jackson's leadership on and off the
court is second to none. As a result, the Legacy Early
College Athletic Department will continue to prosper.
January
Jeff Bissen, Director of
Athletics, Glenwood Community
School, Glenwood, IA
Jeff Bissen was hired as one of
the youngest activities directors
at a Class 3A school at the age
of 25. In his eight-year tenure
as AD his programs have won
two state titles (boy's basketball
& girl's track). His programs
across the board have become competitive and we have
been awarded the KMA Cup (award for best conference
team with cumulative finishes across all sports in
the school's conference), prior to my arrival the best
Glenwood had ever placed was fourth.
Glenwood athletics also enjoyed multiple " first ever "
moments with Bissen at the helm - state volleyball
qualifier; girls state track championship; boys state
basketball championship; girl's individual state champion;
girls relay state champion; football team advanced to play in
UNI-Dome; girls & boys tennis team state qualifier. In total,
Glenwood programs have taken home 21 H-10 Conference
championships, two Iowa state titles while 15 teams have
qualified for the state tournament under Bissen.
" In the last year, we've strived to find the wunderkinds of
the high school and collegiate athletics industry - those who
are going above and beyond in enriching the lives of others.
We at Coach & Athletic Director are honored to highlight
the best and brightest sports industry up-and-comers on a
monthly basis. Congratulations to all the honorees from the
past year! " - Wesley Sykes, Coach & A.D. managing editor
44 JANUARY 2021
January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2021
