Renardo Jackson

Sometimes in football, success doesn’t need to be so complicated, especially if you have the right leadership.

In his first season as head coach at Vigor, Coach Renardo Jackson led his team to the 4A State Championship game. But he wasn’t new to success or to Vigor High School. He had spent 14 years as an assistant with the Wolves before leaving to take the head job at LeFlore three seasons ago. When Vigor was looking for some stability in their program after the 2024 season, they turned to a familiar face. Coach Jackson had been the defensive coordinator on the Wolves last state championship team in 2021.

What a first year it was in 2025! Vigor went 12-3, going on a memorable playoff run that included a 28-21 semifinal upset of undefeated Williamson. The win avenged an overtime loss to Williamson in the regular season.The semi final victory was one of the Mobile area’s biggest games in years.

Former Vigor head coach Kerry Stevenson called it straight: “Coach Jackson had the sharpest and classiest team in the state, a group that embodied what Vigor is supposed to be.”  And Principal Tiffany Buchannan didn’t just praise wins—she praised what changed around the building. She said Coach Jackson has been “an absolute blessing to the school and the community.”

Coach Jackson’s game plan when he came back was pretty simple. “The game plan is always to let your best players be the best players,” he said. “And sometimes the best thing we can do as coaches is not get in the way.”

Your 2025 Encore Rehabilitation 5A Head Coach of the Year, Renardo Jackson of Vigor.