Featured Image: Van Jones and Jerald Ogg pose outside of the Mass Media and Strategic Communications office during his visit to UT Martin. (Pacer Photo provided by Robert Nanney)

Van Jones, a prominent U.S. media personality and proud alumnus of the University of Tennessee at Martin, still has close ties to the man he called “Coach” during his days as a Pacer.

“Coach” is Jerald Ogg, a current UT Martin mass media and strategic communication professor. After practicing communications law in Louisiana, Ogg was asked to teach a law and ethics class at UT Martin for what he thought would be one year. This is where Jones and Ogg crossed paths.

The two hit it off right away.

“He was one of those students in class who asked a lot of questions, and then he’d come in my office, and we’d talk,” Ogg said. “We’d start talking about class stuff and end up talking about everything else.”

Jones’ drive and dedication led Ogg to stay as a professor on campus and continue to teach. Soon after, Ogg became the advisor for The Pacer, the university’s student newspaper, and Jones became the editor.

Jones explained that during this time, there was no internet, so whatever The Pacer said set the conversation for the whole campus. Being editor was no easy task, and Jones did not take the role lightly.

“The administration would be going crazy because we were raising controversial issues in those days, and Coach was right there with us,” Jones said. “He defended us.”

When Jones felt The Pacer wasn’t doing a good enough job holding people accountable, he created his own independent newspaper. This almost caused Van to be expelled.

“He [Ogg] said, ‘Well, there’ll be two of us leaving if you throw Van out. I’m going to leave, too,’” Jones said.

Ogg explained that Jones had a heart to make things better and a strong ambition to answer questions.

“I think I was good for him, and he was good for me. The passion that he had made me passionate to be the advisor and to help him,” Ogg said.

Jones’ hard work paid off as he was accepted into five law schools, including Harvard, Yale and Stanford. Ogg coached him through his decision-making process as a law school graduate himself. Ogg was not only a mentor for him in the classroom but throughout many stages of his life, even beyond his time at UT Martin.

“I became somebody I think that he knew he could talk to about anything,” Ogg said. “It’s been fun for me, with two daughters, to kind of have a son walking through some other kinds of stuff.”

Despite Jones’ fast-paced career as a three-time New York Times bestselling author and CNN host, the two remain in touch today.

“He was there for me when both my parents passed away,” Jones said. “He was there for me when I lost my White House job, and he’s been there for me in the good times as well.”

For Ogg, the pride he feels is not only about his accomplishments.

“It is not so much that I’m proud of what he’s done, as cool as that is. But I’m just proud of who he is,” Ogg said.