Newark native Jada Jefferson, a Shabazz High School standout who earned all-conference honors while earning four letters at Fordham University, joins the Rutgers-Newark staff with a tremendous knowledge of the game and the local prep landscape.
Jefferson served as a volunteer assistant coach at Malcolm X Shabazz for two seasons to get the coaching bug.
She played professionally in Ireland, Spain and Germany in 2006 and 2007 before returning to the states.
At Fordham, Jefferson was a two-year starter who earned second team All-Atlantic 10 laurels as a senior in 2006. She averaged 12.3 points and 8.6 rebounds while blocking 41 shots in her final campaign. She averaged 11.2 points and 6.8 rebounds a game with 46 blocked shots as a junior. Jefferson totaled 803 points, 545 rebounds and 105 blocks in her career with the Rams.
At Shabazz, she was a Street & Smith’s Honorable Mention All-American and was selected for the Adidas Top 100 Camp as a senior. She powered the Lady Bulldogs to a 22-3 record and a Watchung Conference title as a senior by averaging 12.3 points and 10.1 rebounds, earning Newark Player of the Year notice. She was named first team all-state as a senior and was a second team all-state pick as a junior. Jefferson also lettered four times in volleyball, earning all-state honors as a senior.
She received a degree in communications and sociology at Fordham in 2006 and seems to be pointed toward a career in teaching and coaching. She is involved in volunteering with the Big Brother and Big Sister programs.
“I love teaching,” Jefferson states. “I wish to help show a player how to ‘play the game.’ I want them to become a better player than I was, then my cycle is complete.”
Her favorite quote is by Gandhi: “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
