Previously, he was the head coach at Lake Superior State University, where he won two NCAA championships in ice hockey.
In his six years as head coach with Lake Superior, from 1990 to 1996, Jackson led the team to six consecutive NCAA appearances, including three straight trips to the finals from 1992 to 1994, and winning the 1992 and 1994 championships.
In the 2001–02 season, Guelph improved once again, as they earned 82 points, finishing in second place once again in the Midwest Division, and hosted the 2002 Memorial Cup, advancing to the tie-breaker game, where they lost to the Victoriaville Tigres.
The Fighting Irish upset the #1 seed University of New Hampshire 7–3 in their first game, followed by a 3–1 victory over Michigan State to advance to the Frozen Four for the first time in school history.
Notre Dame stayed hot, and defeated the #1 seeded Michigan Wolverines 5–4 in overtime to advance to their first ever berth in the final.
Another record-setting regular season followed in 2008–09, with the Irish earning a top seed in the NCAA Championship, however they were defeated in the first round by Bemidji State.