The Deering High football program is hoping for a large dose of stability. Jason Jackson is determined to supply it.

Jackson, 40, was named Thursday as the Rams’ new coach.

This will be his first job as a varsity head coach. The last two years Jackson was an assistant at Cape Elizabeth High, coaching the running backs and defensive backs. Before that he coached the Cape Elizabeth Middle School team for three seasons.

Jackson works as an educational technician at South Portland High in the One Classroom Project for at-risk youth. The Seattle native played one year of football at Central Washington University, where he graduated with a degree in speech communication.

“Jason brings a lot of energy and passion,” said Deering Athletic Director Mel Craig. “He’s embedded in the Deering community. He lives right down the street. We see him at basketball games. He’s involved in youth football.

“We’re looking at him to bring Deering football back to where it should be.”

Jackson will be Deering’s fourth coach in four seasons, following Jon Gallant, Scott Parsons and Matt Riddell.

Gallant was the head coach at Deering for two seasons (2011-12) before becoming the football coach at Massabesic. Parsons followed Gallant and lasted less than a season. Riddell replaced Parsons to finish 2013, then coached nearly of all of last season until resigning just before the annual Thanksgiving Day game against Portland.

Deering had a 4-5 record in 2014, advancing to the Eastern Class A quarterfinals.

Jackson said one of his biggest challenges in his first year is convincing the players “that I’m all in.”

With the school’s recent turnover in coaches, that may be hard to do.

“This is the job I’ve wanted,” said Jackson. “I live nearby. I’ve coached in the Deering Little League program. Our children are in the school system. When we moved to Portland in 2008 I told my wife, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to run the football program at Deering?’ It was kind of a pipe dream back then. It became within my grasp. I went after it and here I am.

“I’m very excited. I have no desire to be a head coach anywhere else.”

Perhaps the most daunting challenge faced by Jackson – and by Portland Coach Jim Hartman – is trying to build a program in a city where athletes have the choice of attending either high school.

Jackson said getting out in the community will help promote his program.

“I plan on staying in contact with the youth programs and having my Deering players involved with the younger kids,” he said. “You have to create a certain culture.”

Jackson said his offenses are multiple, but with a lot of power-I and wing-T formations.

“He’s a dynamic personality,” said Cape Elizabeth Coach Aaron Filieo. “Jason has the players’ interest in mind. He connects very well with the players and the parents.”

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