Cornelius Jackson, the head coach for Marshall Men’s Basketball, will continue to lead the Herd through the 2029-30 season, after signing an extension to his contract earlier this month.

In his first season as head coach, Jackson led the team to a 19-12 season and a 12-6 mark in Sun Belt Conference play, earning the No. 5 seed in the 2025 Sun Belt Conference tournament and exceeding the preseason prediction of finishing 10th.

Jackson’s performance as first-year head coach landed him being named as a finalist for two national awards: the Joe B. Hall Award, awarded to the top first-year head coach in Division I Men’s Basketball, and the Ben Jobe Award, awarded to the top minority head coach in Division I Men’s Basketball.

“I’m incredibly grateful to President Brad Smith, Christian Spears and the Board of Governors for their belief in me and our program,” Jackson said. “Marshall University is such a special place. I’m honored to continue representing this program, our student-athletes and our community. This extension isn’t just a commitment to me, it’s a commitment to the vision we share for Marshall Basketball. I couldn’t be more excited for where we’re headed.”

It was also announced that Steve Snell is coming back to the Herd, serving as an assistant head coach under Jackson.

Snell previously served in the same position for the Herd under former head coach Greg White from 1996 through the 2001 season. A portion of those seasons involved Cornelius Jackson’s tenure as a Marshall player. Jackson played for Marshall from 1998 to 2001.

Nate Harrah can be contacted at [email protected].