Kevin Jackson had plenty of highs as the coach of Iowa State wrestling, including coaching Kyven Gadson to an NCAA Championship in 2015.

He also had a number of lows — most notably the 1-9 season he’s currently in.

The 1-9 record forced him to announce last Tuesday that he’s stepping down at the end of the season.

Before the announcement, questions of Jackson’s job security were swirling around the program.

“I just talked to Jamie [Pollard] and we had been talking throughout the season and we just wanted to take the pressure off of the kids … and allow them to finish off their season the right way without this distraction,” Jackson said.

A coach resigning can cause an even bigger distraction, but Jackson said the distraction couldn’t get any worse than it already was.

“I think our young men at this point recognize it’s about them, it always has been about them and how they compete and them putting their heart and soul out there on the mat,” Jackson said. “The kids are resilient, they get over things pretty quick.”

With six weeks left in the season, Jackson’s sole focus is on getting his wrestlers to compete to the best of their ability.

“I want to make sure the guys that are in the wrestling room right now stay with the program [and] move forward knowing Jamie’s going to do a great job in picking the best person for the job,” Jackson said. “The big picture is, let’s get these seniors to finish off the season the right way for themselves.”

Jackson believes Pollard will move quickly in hiring the next coach and said that he will not be involved in the process. 

One thing fans have questioned Pollard on has been whether or not the athletic director truly supports wrestling, which could impact the coaching search.

@cy_vader Pollard could care less about wrestling. Probably can’t name 3 kids on the team.

— Dan Heck (@CycloneHeck) January 18, 2017

Jackson put those fears to rest.

“For sure we [get the support we need],” Jackson said. “When you look at our facilities, what we pay our coaches — everything about the program — Iowa State University has invested very well in the program. That’s going to continue, that’s never changed.

“The next coach that comes in will be successful here.”

Jackson began coaching essentially as soon as his wrestling days were over, but Iowa State was his first head coaching job at the collegiate level.

He admitted to not knowing everything right off the bat, but through the process he learned what it took.

“You have to have the right people around you,” Jackson said. “Also you have to get the right kids. It’s about the kids. Recruiting the proper kid, the right kid that his goals and aspirations and belief in his self is stronger than yours. Those are things I had to kind of figure out along the way.”