Jasper City Schools announced on Wednesday, February 1 the hiring of David Reeves as the new head coach for the Jasper High School Vikings football team.

"There was a lot that we were looking for in our next head football coach, someone who could captivate and lead our community, but most importantly, capture the heart of our players and be someone that they want to play hard for, and David fits that bill," said Jasper High School Athletics Director Jonathan Jordan. "He has built a career on hard work in coaching and has spent most of his career in collegiate athletics, but wants to get back to the purity of football at a high school level, and we're excited to be the beneficiaries of that and have him impact our student athletes."

Reeves, a native of Huntsville, spent the last six seasons as Defensive Coordinator at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and has prior collegiate experience on the coaching staffs at Jacksonville State University, UT-Martin, Southern Arkansas, and The University of Alabama. His high school coaching resume includes Athens High School and Bob Jones High School in Alabama, Richmond City and Lithia Springs High Schools in Georgia, and Cornersville High School in Tennessee.

"I feel very honored and so excited about the opportunity to be part of the Jasper community and being a Viking. And I am looking forward to meeting coaches and players and settling into the community. I knew from my previous high school coaching experience in Alabama that Jasper was a special place, and when I learned about this opportunity through Jonathan (Jordan) and had the community and what they’re doing at Jasper High School conveyed to me, it meant a lot. After sitting down and meeting with Dr. Jackson and Mrs. Crump as well, their enthusiasm and passion moved it along for me. High school football in the state of Alabama is really some of the best in the country, and I’m excited to be part of that again,” said Reeves.

Jaiquan Crook, a former Jasper High School football player who worked with Reeves on the staff at UAB, also spoke highly of the new coach. “You’re looking at a guy who is passionate about what he does, and that going to show. I expect him to start the season off 3-0, meaning he is going to get the players bought in, the staff bought in, and the community bought in, and that will equal success,” Crook said.

When asked about his goals for the Jasper football program, Reeves said that he wants to work with the coaches and players to build a successful, championship-caliber program that is sustainable over time, and that it can be done by first caring for the players, stating that after that, “football comes easy."

Reeves will officially begin work with the Jasper High School program on March 1. He and his wife, Starr, are parents to sons Major and Rhett, and are expecting their first grandchild in summer 2023. 78