Former Alabama Basketball Assistant Found Dead in Atlanta

Tragedy struck on Wednesday as former Alabama A&M and University of Alabama assistant basketball coach Sammy Jackson, 59, was found shot to death near Atlanta, according to a report by AL.com's Howard Koplowitz.

Jackson was a star basketball player at Headland High School near Dothan, Alabama. He was named All-Conference for the University of Montevallo in the 1980s.

After his playing days concluded, Jackson spent a decade as an assistant coach at Alabama A&M University, located in Huntsville, Alabama. He then took over as the head coach at Fort Valley State University in Georgia from 2011-2018.

Jackson also coached at Savannah State University as the head basketball coach from 1999-2000. He was an assistant coach at Alabama under former Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried.

Jackson's wife reported him missing on Monday, then his car was found abandoned in a parking spot by an apartment complex in Bonaire, Georgia, as reported by Macon Fox and ABC affiliate WGXA in Koplowitz's report.

Koplowitz also reported that Jackson's son, Sammy Jackson, sent a message to WGXA saying investigators "found his father dead" in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Jackson's car was reported a mess, with 'items scattered over the seat and floor,' according to the outlet. His wife, Jill Jackson, said it was strange for her husband's car to be messy.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and everyone affected by the passing of Sammy Jackson.

Wyatt Fulton is the TIde 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.