A familiar face will be returning to Alabama.
Samford has hired former Jacksonville State coach John Grass as its next head football coach, it was announced on Wednesday.
Grass, who coached at the collegiate and high school level in the state for over 30 years, will replace Chris Hatcher, who spent 11 seasons as the head coach.
Football Scoop first reported the news on Wednesday.
“I’m extremely grateful to Dr. Beck Taylor and Martin Newton for the opportunity to lead the Samford Bulldog football program,” Grass said in a release. “I’ve always fostered a great respect for the Samford community and I’m excited to get boots on the ground and get to work.
“I’m grateful to Coach Swinney for the last four years at Clemson, but I am excited to join the Bulldog family.”
An Ashville native, Grass has been on staff at Clemson since 2022 and served as a senior offensive assistant/assistant quarterbacks coach last season.
Before joining Dabo Swinney’s Clemson staff, Grass spent eight seasons as the head coach at Jacksonville State from 2014-21, compiling a 72–26 record with six Ohio Valley Conference championships.
He led his alma mater to an FCS national championship appearance in the 2015 season, going 13–2 with a loss to North Dakota State in the title game and another in overtime to Auburn.
“When we started the process for hiring our next head football coach, we were very specific with what we were looking for as our next leader,” Samford Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Martin Newton said in a release. “We wanted someone with head coaching experience and a proven track record of winning. Someone with strong roots and relationships in Alabama and our local community. Someone that understands and embraces the Christian mission of our institution. John Grass is that someone.”
In his final season as Jax State’s head football coach, Grass led the Gamecocks to a 20-17 upset victory over Florida State. During his time at Jax State, he was a three-time OVC Coach of the Year and was named AFCA National Coach of the Year in 2015.
He spent the 2013 season as assistant head coach/offensive coordinator at Jax State under Bill Clark in his only season before taking the UAB job.
Before joining the collegiate ranks, Grass spent over 20 years at the high school level in Alabama, 16 as a head coach. He coached at Oxford, Spain Park, Moody, Albertville and Ashville, compiling a 123-60 record during his time as a head coach.
Grass led Spain Park to a Class 6A state championship game appearance in 2007, earning ASWA Coach of the Year honors that season and in 2022 after leading Albertville to a 9-4 record and a third-round playoff appearance.
His son Jace is a quarterback prospect in the 2028 class and holds offers from Syracuse, SMU, Jacksonville State, Appalachian State, Akron, Toledo, Samford and more.