Zombies Bolster Coaching Staff With Hiring of Wesley Jackson

SPRINGFIELD, MA — Looking to bounce back from a disappointing end to the 2022 season, the Western Mass Zombies of the East Coast Basketball League (ECBL) have bolstered their staff with the hiring of Wesley Jackson as assistant coach.

Jackson, executive director of the South End Community Center (the Zombies’ home court), is the athletic director for Baystate Academy Charter Public School in Springfield and Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School in Chicopee. He is also assistant men’s basketball coach at Westfield State University.

After winning the Mid-Atlantic Conference championship in the team’s first season in the ECBL in 2021, the Zombies placed second last year, falling to the Hub City Hogs 118-102 in the first round of the conference playoffs.

Zombies owner Bill Bullock said, “We are excited to announce that we have added to our coaching staff. Wesley Jackson will be joining head coach Brian Stasaitis and player/coach Andre Daniel on the bench. Wes has the basketball knowledge and is entrenched in the city of Springfield. My wife and I are excited that he will be joining the Zombie family.”

“I have known Brian for many years as we worked for Five Star Basketball," Jackson said. "He’s always been a colleague and those Five Star relationships last forever. I met Bill when he became the owner and I was introduced to him at the ceremony at the Eastfield Mall. We quickly bonded as he wanted to use the South End Community Center as a home site. We made that work right away. He has become a board member of the South End Community Center and a great addition to our mission.”

Stasaitis said, “I am very excited to have Coach Wesley Jackson join our organization this season. I have known Wes for many years and have seen him work on and off the basketball court. He is a coach who demands the most from his players. The players respect Wes’ hard work and commitment. He will be a valuable asset on the coaching staff. His involvement at Westfield State and in the Springfield community will assist the Zombies’ organization as we continue to build our brand in the birthplace of basketball as we move into our fifth season.”

“Fortunately, I was able to see all the home games here at the South End Community Center,” Jackson said. “I already have relationships with many of the players; some I have known or coached since they were 11 and 12 years old. I feel I have the respect and relationships with them to have hard and real conversations. I believe those relationships will be helpful to the success of the team. Just like the team of Bill, Brian and myself; the players will need to understand their roles for success, make sacrifices, and work together to the common goals of the team. We have the physical talent to win. I will help with some of the tweaks needed there, but chemistry and the mental approach to the game will be what gets us back to the top.”

Jackson brings over 20 years of coaching experience to the Zombies. He has served as coach and director of AAU, youth and adult teams at the community center for many years, including the SECC All-Stars. He has helped the organization produce four Lahovich winners, awarded to the best male basketball player in western Massachusetts, as well as helped over 100 student-athletes get into college.

His prior experience includes tenures at New Leadership Charter School, William J. Dean Technical School and Springfield Commonwealth Academy. He is entering his seventh year at Westfield State, which has won two Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) championships in 2020 and 2022.

Jackson holds a Bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Phoenix, and will start pursuit of his Master’s degree in non-profit management at Bay Path University.

The Zombies will soon be announcing open tryout sessions.