Former Notre Dame Quarterback Promoted to Interim Head Coach in CFL

The Edmonton Elks have a new interim head coach and he's a former standout quarterback at Notre Dame

Sep 5, 1998; Notre Dame, IN, USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Jarious Jackson (7) in action against the Michigan Wolverines at the Notre Dame Stadium. / RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

A former Notre Dame quarterback has been promoted to interim head coach of the Edmonton Elks in the Canadian Football League.

Jarious Jackson, who started at quarterback for Notre Dame in 1998 and 1999, was announced as the interim head coach of the Elks earlier this week.

Jackson was promoted from offensive coordinator after head coach Chris Jones was fired following an 0-5 start to the 2024 season.

Jackson played in the NFL for four seasons before moving to the CFL as a player. He played from 2004-11 with the British Columbia Lions before spending 2012 with the Toronto Argonauts.

After retiring as a player, Jackson began his coaching career with the Lions and has been working his way up ever since.

Notre Dame Football Record Holder, Jarious Jackson

When Jarious Jackson used up all his eligibility at Notre Dame, he left the Fighting Irish as a record-holding quarterback.

Jackson's 2,753 passing yards in 1999 were a record until Brady Quinn obliterated it by throwing for 3,919 yards in 2005.

Jackson's 184 completions and 316 pass attempts in 1999 were also school records until Quinn also passed those.

Notre Dame's Near First BCS Appearance

Notre Dame made it to the old Bowl Championship Series for the first time in the 2000 season after rallying from a 2-2 start to finish the regular season 9-2 and earn a spot in the Fiesta Bowl.

That first BCS trip nearly came in 1998 however as Notre Dame was ranked 10th nationally and played host to LSU in the final home game of the year. Leading a wild game 39-34 with just eight seconds to play at their own 10-yard line, Jackson was asked by head coach Bob Davie to drop back and run out the clock while taking a safety.

Jackson didn't see a blitzing cornerback and was sacked in the end zone with three seconds to play. Notre Dame held on to win the game 39-36, but Jackson suffered a torn ACL.

The final game of the regular season a week later saw Notre Dame get shut out at USC, falling 10-0 to their rival. Eric Chappell and Arnaz Battle couldn't get anything going offensively, combining to complete just seven passes in 22 attempts for 94 yards while throwing a pair of interceptions each.

Instead of a trip to the BCS, the loss sent Notre Dame to the Gator Bowl where it lost to Georgia Tech and Joe Hamilton.

Notre Dame Will Have Among Nation's Best Defenses Again in 2024