Coaching Staff (2023-2024)

Tannea Nelson

Tannea Nelson enters her third season as Head Coach of the Girl's Basketball program for Saint Mary's. In her first two seasons leading the Panthers, she has led the team to 26 victories and two trips to the North Coast Section (NCS) Quarterfinal Round. Nelson is a graduate of El Cerrito High School where she played 4 years of varsity basketball for the Gauchos. Coach Nelson accepted a full ride basketball scholarship to Cal State Northridge where she competed for 4 years. In 1999, Coach Nelson began her coaching career as an Assistant Coach at Diablo Valley College from 1999-2001. From there, she continued her career as an Assistant Coach at Dominican University from 2003-2005. During her 2 years at Dominican University, the team experienced success and was ranked in the top 20 in the NAIA Division II polls. After coaching as an assistant, Coach Nelson was hired as the head coach at College of Marin in 2007. She spent the next 10 years at College of Marin as the head coach before stepping away in 2017. In the 2014-2015 season at Marin, Coach Nelson received Coach of the Year in the Bay Valley College. From there, Coach Nelson joined the Contra Costa College basketball program as an assistant in the fall of 2017 until the spring of 2020.

From an education standpoint, Coach Nelson has earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a minor in Criminology from Cal State Northridge, and then earned a Master’s degree in Sport Psychology from John F. Kennedy University. Coach Nelson is looking forward to her third basketball season as she is has all players returning from the 2023-2024 season.

Janine Jackson

Assistant Varsity Girl’s Basketball Coach, Janine Jackson, begins her second consecutive season with the Panthers under Head Basketball Coach, Tannea Nelson.

Coach Jackson has been coaching basketball for 14 years at various programs across the Bay Area. She began her coaching career as a volunteer assistant at her alma mater, Oakland Tech, in 2010 under the leadership of her own coach, Valerie Heartsfield. Following her time at Oakland Tech, Jackson also served as an assistant coach at the Bentley School from 2019-2020. Following her time at Bentley, Jackson served as a head coach for the Legacy United Travel Club team from 2021-2022 until ultimately arriving to Peralta Park last season.

In her first season at Saint Mary’s, Jackson helped the team compile a 13-15 overall record and a North Coast Section (NCS) Playoff Berth where the team advanced to the Quarterfinal Round.

Jackson, a native of the Bay Area, grew up in Oakland, California where she attended Oakland Tech High School and excelled as a player for the basketball program. In fact, some of her accomplishments include a two-time CIF State Champion, a two-time NorCal Champion, a four-time OAL Champion, and Player of the Week Honors. Following her high school career, Jackson went on to Los Positas College where she continued her playing career from 2006-2008.

Academically, Jackson is very well rounded as she has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Phoenix (2015), a Master’s degree in Forensic Science from Holy Names University (2017), and a Ph.D in Forensic Psychology from Walden University (2022).

In her spare time to compliment her passion for the game, Jackson has a love for video games and enjoys being the godmother to Cean Harris Jr. and Amaya Malone. She currently resides in Antioch, California.