CLARION, Pa. --- Clarion Athletics is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Al Jacks, one of the original inductees into the Clarion Sports Hall of Fame and a legendary sports figure in the state of Pennsylvania. He was 87 years old. 
 
"This is a sad day for our Golden Eagle family as we say good-bye to Al Jacks," said Clarion athletic director Dr. Wendy Snodgrass. "His accomplishments as a coach speak for themselves, but what was most striking about him was his humility. Al was shy to talk about his own accolades but was quick to celebrate the successes of others, particularly the many student-athletes privileged enough to have played for him. As those men moved on from Clarion they continued to nourish the bonds forged under Al Jacks based on the values he taught them. I would like to offer my sympathies to all those who loved Al and are going to miss him."
 
"Al Jacks was more than just a coach or educator," said PennWest University president Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson. "He was a vital part of the Clarion community, and an inspiration to countless student-athletes over the course of his decades of service. He was an embodiment of character and integrity we hope all of our students can emulate. I would like to offer my deepest condolences to all of his family and loved ones affected by this loss."
 
One of the inaugural members of the Clarion Sports Hall of Fame in 1989, Jacks turned Clarion football into a regional and national power at the Division II level. After posting a 4-4 season that year, Jacks' Golden Eagles rattled off 18 consecutive winning seasons from 1964-81, a streak that led all of NCAA Division II in that time.
 
Those 18 seasons made up the bulk of a 27-year stretch where Clarion posted a .500 record or better; at the time, Penn State was the only NCAA school at any division with a longer active streak.
 
With Jacks at the helm of the program, the Golden Eagles went 128- 44-5 for a .729 winning percentage, and his 128 wins ranks eighth all­ time for a head coach at a PSAC school. The team captured six PSAC West division titles (1966-67, 1969, 1977-78, 1980) and three PSAC Championships (1966, 1977, 1980).
 
Jacks was inducted into the Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame - now named for another Clarion graduate, Robert "Tick" Cloherty - in 1979, and in 1980 the Golden Eagles were named the ECAC Division II Team of the Year.
 
The recognition of Jacks' accomplishments continued well after his retirement from the football program. The Pittsburgh City League All Sports High School Hall of Fame added him to their number in 2016, in recognition of his accomplishments while attending Peabody High School as a 1953 graduate. In 2019 the PSAC announced him as one of the all-time great contributors to the conference's history in football, naming him as part of the PSAC 150 Contributors list in conjunction with the 150^th anniversary of college football. In October 2022 Jacks became the fourth Clarion student-athlete or coach to earn induction into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, joining Cloherty, Alex Sandusky and Pete Vuckovich.
 
A 1953 graduate of Peabody High School (Pittsburgh), Jacks attended Penn State and was a starting quarterback under Rip Engle in the 1957 and 1958 seasons, completing over 50 percent of his passes. He was backfield coach at Slippery Rock State from 1960 through the 1962 football seasons before coming to Clarion in 1963.