Joey Jones resigned as head coach of South Alabama on Tuesday, three days after the Jaguars were throttled, 52-0, by previously winless Georgia Southern.
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Jones became the first head coach in program history in 2008 when he was hired a year before the Jaguars played their first season. After three years as an FCS independent (23-4 record), he went 48-42 in the FBS from 2012-16. South Alabama is 4-7 this year, with the most recent loss being the road embarrassment on Saturday.
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"We have always put a highly competitive product on the field," Jones said in a statement. "Starting a program from scratch is not easy, we have scratched and clawed to build a program of which this University and this city can be proud.
"We have put in place a great foundation and I am comforted knowing that we will hand over an extremely healthy program to the next head coach. He will inherit a group of great student-athletes poised for special things — young men who will perform on the field and in the classroom."
With the only head coach in program history gone (or almost gone — Jones will finish the season), who might South Alabama hire to replace him? Here are a few potential options.
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John Grass
Current Position: Head Coach – Jacksonville State
John Grass is the most obvious choice to replace Jones.
The 49-year-old is from Alabama and has spent his entire career in the state. After 23 years in high school football, he became Jacksonville State associate head coach and offensive coordinator in 2013 and head coach a year later. He led the Gamecocks to FCS title game in 2015 and is 43-7 in three-plus seasons.
He knows Alabama high school football as well as anyone and has done enough to warrant consideration for a promotion.
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David Reeves
Current Position: Defensive Coordinator – UAB
David Reeves is the first-year defensive coordinator at UAB, where he was previously defensive line coach in 2014. He helped head coach Bill Clark rebuild the program after two years off the field and has the Blazers approaching an eight-win season.
He's a former Alabama high school coach who joined Clark's Jacksonville State staff in 2013.
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Kodi Burns
Current Position: Co-Offensive Coordinator, Wide Receivers Coach – Auburn
This is the wild card.
Kodi Burns is Auburn's young co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach who's only in his six season as an assistant coach. A former Tigers' receiver, he has also been an assistant at Arkansas State, Arizona State, Middle Tennessee and Samford. While Burns might be a few years away from getting a head coach opportunity — at any level — South Alabama could be intrigued by his youth and rising stock.
