How He Went From Blue Collar Kid to Big Ten Athletic Director | The Process With Northwestern AD Mark Jackson

It was 2001.I still remember the email: [e-mail]. It came from Mark Jackson—someone I knew from working summer camps at USC that summer.

“Give me a call,” it read.

That call changed my life.

It opened a door—not just professionally, but personally. It gave me a glimpse of what a grounded, intentional, meaningful family life could look like.

Since that moment, Mark has been a friend, a mentor, and now, with both of us in the Big Ten Conference, a kind of colleague. Back in the early 2000s, we’d spend hours in Pete Carroll’s office—absorbing his leadership philosophy and, just as importantly, reflecting on our own lives.

Then came the summer of 2008.

Coach Carroll challenged us to write down our life philosophy. Like a class assignment, we each returned with a typed-up document that felt like a book report. I was single and 25. Mark was married with four kids.

His response?Family. Faith. Friendship. Fun.

Those “Four F’s” became his compass and they still are.

From interning with the Patriots to working on staff under Parcells, Belichick, and Carroll, Mark has been in rooms where championship culture is created. But it wasn’t just his resume that shaped him—it was the internal work. What he calls the “lonely work”—the kind of soul-searching that happens when life knocks you down and there’s no clear next step.

For Mark, that moment came at 35, after being let go by the Raiders with four kids to support. No job. No clarity. Just space to look inward.

What followed was discipline.

Writing. Running. Alignment. And a renewed commitment to the life he wanted to lead.

In this week’s episode of The Process—our six-part series on leadership, growth, and intentional living—Mark joins Rhett Lewis and me to explore what it really means to lead with authenticity. From helping Villanova win a national title as a point guard, to leading Northwestern through a near-billion-dollar stadium transformation, Mark’s core message remains:

Be authentic. Stay grounded. Live your values.

This episode isn’t just about college football.It’s about how to live a life that means something.

Welcome to The Process, from Y-Option.

The Process is a six-part series within Y-Option, exploring the inner workings of elite performance through the eyes of iconic quarterbacks, coaches, and leaders. From icons to athletic directors, from QBs to coaches we go beyond the playbook—into the mindset, habits, and life philosophy that shape the greatest competitors. Whether you're leading a team, raising a family, or chasing your next breakthrough, this series invites you to reexamine your own process—and refine it.

From Y-Option, this is THE PROCESS with Yogi Roth and Rhett Lewis.

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