CHRIS JONES OFFICIALLY HIRED AT SOUTH PITTSBURGH HIGH SCHOOL
By: Eric Price, Chattanooga NewsChannel9
SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. — One of the most successful high school football programs in our area has a new coach.
The South Pittsburg Pirates announced Chris Jones will be the new leader of the program on Saturday.
Jones replaces the legendary Vic Grider who retired earlier this year. Grider led the Pirates to three state championships and coached in four other title games.
Jones has an impressive resume with nearly 30 years experience. He’s gone pro but he’s no stranger to South Pittsburg.
Chris Jones says coming full circle back to his home town is something he’s always wanted.
“You know what its 30 something years in the making,” Jones told NewsChannel 9. “I’ve been a coach 31 years and I went to college at UTC and I was raised up here right next to the school.”
Most recently, Jones was on the Cleveland Browns coaching staff and fans are hoping Coach Jones lives up the hype.
“People get up in the morning and the first thing they talk about at the coffee shop is South Pittsburg football and that’s what you want to be a part of,” Jones continued.
The team is one of the most successful high school programs in the state. But Chris says he’s here to make it even better.
“The way that we practice and the way that we prepare is gonna be way different than what they’ve done in the past. Not that what they’ve done here is bad because they’ve won a ton of games here doing it like they’ve done it.”
Coach Jones said that he and his staff are getting to work right away with meetings on Easter Sunday and the team is having their first practice this Wednesday.
Now, South Pittsburg’s football program is on probation for the next two seasons. The TSSAA says the program broke a recruiting violation.
They say the local booster club paid the rent for a family who was about to be evicted and the school “acknowledged they broke the rule”.
Punishment was proposed by the school and accepted.
It includes in part dissolving the booster club for at least one year. And a loss of some spring practice time and some fall scrimmages for the next two seasons.
The Pirates will still be eligible for the post season.
What I have always admired about Chris Jones since he arrived in the CFL is he carries on that Don Mathews swagger. He is proof positive that wherever you are, whatever you do then make it the best place to be. If anyone here thinks he is taking a step back coaching “high school” people better think twice. If you have seen and followed Head Coach Russ Probst in the show Two a Days this is serious big time football. To be clear this is not some recreation program like Leboldus or Campbell. Good for Coach Jones and the lesson… Read more »
Once Redbird and company aquire the CFL in its totality they’ll hire and assign Mr.Chris Jones to run the Regina franchise running it from A to Z with its new name Dillards, Regina Dillards. (Las Vegas Posse style team color uniforms) No community interference, no roughriders or a useless board of directors. Football will finally and truly be run in a professional sports management structure. Good luck Chris Jones SPHS.
“In Jones We Trust”
SPHS.
(and Riderville, Saskatchewan).