For our final Staff Spotlight of the '25-26 school year, we are highlighting someone who works hard to prepare his students to be the best athletes they can be, but also the best versions of themselves they can be.
This month's Staff Spotlight is Cole Jackson, Head Wrestling Coach & Assistant Athletic Director at Lewis-Palmer High School. Read more about Coach Jackson below.
What has been your journey in education and coaching?
Growing up I played football and wrestled. I came from an athletic family. My dad was a wrestling coach my entire life. He coached at the Olympic Training Center. From the Olympic Training Center, we moved to Iowa, where he coached at Iowa State and then came back to Colorado because he ended up getting the developmental job for the United States at the Olympic Training Center. My dad competed when he was younger, so I've just have been around the sport forever. I was a football/wrestling guy. After college, I went and worked for a nonprofit company called Beat the Streets LA, which focused on keeping kids off the streets by involving them with wrestling. I did that for about six months, and then it was time to get a big boy job. I transitioned to being behind a desk, and I did that for about two years. It was never something that I really found a passion in, and I knew I always wanted to coach. I always thought of teaching as being an avenue to be able to allow me to do so, but also enjoyed being around kids.
When my family moved out here, and were looking for a school to attend. My sister was a volleyball player, and Lewis-Palmer had had some rich history of being good at volleyball. So, it was decided to come be Rangers. I decided to come back out here and at that time, the wrestling coach was looking for an assistant coach. Nick Baker was the wrestling coach when I was in high school, so I actually competed against him while he was coaching. I took the assistant coaching job here, and I fell in love with the place . I knew it was something that I wanted to do. I decided to get my alternative license. Iand went through the two-year program and haven't looked back since. It was just the right place, and right time.
What all do you do at LPHS?
Up until this year, I was a PE teacher, assistant football coach, and head freshman football coach. I was the girls' golf assistant coach, and then the head wrestling boys and girls coach. Now I'm the assistant athletic director at LPHS. I work with Nick Baker on a pretty consistent basis, as well as continue to still teach. I teach PE two to three days a week, and the other 50% of the time, I'm doing administrative stuff on the athletic director side of things. I’m still the head coach for boys and girls wrestling. I think one of the things that people don't realize about coaching is just how much stuff you're juggling on a consistent basis. It's not just going to wrestling practice, it's not just going to football practice. Kids have stuff going on outside and, and one of the things that I tell people is, "I probably see some of your kids more than you see them.” There's a lot of developing relationships, and trying to navigate the worlds of kids being teenagers, and the difficulties of that while also trying to get them to understand the importance of being a good person and being a good athlete. One of the things I tell people all the time is, "This is what I signed up for," you know? I take it on the chin and embrace it. I think one of the things that wrestling people talk about all the time is the grind. I have embraced that grind, and I enjoy it.
LPHS Wrestling has a long history of success. Can you tell us a little about that and your current successes with the program?
I think the coolest thing we probably have going for us right now is that eight years ago we didn't have a girls program. I started that program with one wrestler. That wrestler ended up coming back and becoming one of our assistant coaches, which was really cool. Throughout the years, I couldn't even tell you how many state placers that we've had. We've had the first four-year state placer in history. Last year we were very successful from a boys’ team standpoint. We went 14–1 during our regular season and were conference champs that year. I was lucky enough to be selected or nominated as the Coach of the Year for the boys, from the Pikes Peak Athletic Conference (PPAC).
This year we had a very successful girls season again. We almost won by 300% more often than what we had in the past. I think the last couple years, we've won a dual or two. I think this year we ended up winning about 11 of those. Back to back years the boys were the PPAC Champions, and then the girls were also the PPAC Champions this year. State placers, state qualifiers consistently year after year. As a team we're starting to figure things out a little bit.
You won the Pikes Peak Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in back-to-back years. What does that recognition mean to you?
I think more than anything, it’s just that I’ve surrounded myself with the right people. It's cool to be honored, but without my coaches, without the kids being bought in, without the support from the athletic department, it doesn't happen. I’m honored to be awarded, but at the same time, it's more exciting to see the kids go out and perform and compete at a high level. Those awards just signify that we're doing the right things. You've got a lot of kids that are working really hard, and without the team, without the staff, without the support, that stuff doesn't happen. So, I view that award as more of a team award than an individual award. I think more than anything, just celebrating the success of the team is more important to me.
Is there a message you would like to share with your school or athletes?
I guess my message is just always try to be the best version of yourself. I think figuring out how to battle adversity, get through tough things, and being true to who you are—those are the biggest things. Sticking to who you are is important, and being happy with the person you are in the mirror, happy with the things that you believe in, and finding like-minded people to believe in those things with you. Sticking to your guns, not sacrificing, continuing to stay accountable on all aspects is super important. And then, ultimately put your best foot forward and do everything at 100%. Nothing worth working for comes without sacrifice.