Our guest this week in our ITG Next Alabama “4 Questions with the Coach” spotlight is Jasper head football coach David Reeves, who is in his first season with the Vikings. Reeves has an impressive football background, having served as an assistant coach on the University of Alabama-Birmingham staff over the previous seven seasons, including the past six as the team’s defensive coordinator before being hired at Jasper.
Reeves is one of the most respected coaches in college football, having been nominated twice for the Broyles Award, which is awarded to college football’s top assistant coach. He received the well-deserved recognition for a reputation he’s earned as one of the best defensive-minded coaches in the country. His Blazer defenses at UAB finished among the top-ranked units in the country, with top-10 rankings in several categories.
Before his days at the college level, coach Reeves earned his stripes as a high school coach in Georgia and Alabama. In taking over a young Jasper football team, much of this first season has been spent teaching instilling football fundamentals in his players.
Let’s find out more about this season with Jasper football and how coach David Reeves feels returning to the high school level.
Q. Coach Reeves, thank you so much for joining us here at ITG Next. What high school coaching stops were part of your path to the collegiate level before you returned to lead the Jasper football program?
A. Richmond Academy in Augusta, GA; Lithia Springs HS in Douglasville, GA; Cornersville HS in Cornersville, TN; Bob Jones HS in Madison, AL; and Athens HS in Athens, AL. From Athens, I became a graduate assistant coaching corners at the University of Alabama.
It was a unique journey through my high school career. I actually was an offensive coordinator in my early years beginning at Lithia Springs and carrying over into my first head coaching job at Cornersville. It wasn’t until my stops at Bob Jones and Athens that I became a defensive coordinator. Each stop along the way helped shape my philosophy, beliefs, and style. I was very fortunate throughout my career to work with and learn from some great coaches.
Q. I realize coaching is coaching, but I would think the biggest difference between coaching high school players vs. college players is the fact that you recruit the college players, whereas you coach the players who attend the high school wherever you are employed. Are there other major differences, and if so what are they?
A. Recruiting is the major difference. Although I will say some of the best recruiters I know are in high schools. You are constantly in the halls of the school recruiting new players and selling your program. In college the devil you are fighting is NIL. In high school, the battles seem to be fought against jobs, cars, and girls. Either way, the recruiting is still a major part of the job.
Q. As I mentioned in the opening comments, you have taken over a rather young roster there at Jasper. While I know the wins have been tough to come by this year, you will have the majority of the team coming back next season, and your JV team is doing well, so it would appear that the future of Jasper football is bright. What do you see for the Vikings program over the next few years to come?
A. Jasper is an amazing place. The support from the community is great. The expectations in the community really align with mine, so it is really a good fit. Sometimes our staff and the community both have expectations that many may label as unrealistic. But that is one of the reasons Jasper is such a special place.
The support from the administration, from the school to central office, is as good as anywhere I have ever been. They continue to put the needs of our student/athletes at the forefront. Our players respond with a hard-nosed, blue-collar work ethic that is getting harder to find in today’s day and age. Over the next couple of years, as our program’s strength and experience match our players’ and staff’s ambitions, I think it will be exciting times.
Q. Coach Reeves, tell us about the football staff you have put together there at Jasper, and what are the philosophies on offense and defense?
A. The staff is a work in progress as we continue to learn each other. Kyle Butler, our defensive coordinator, has applied many of the principles and philosophies that allowed us success at UAB. We are multiple in fronts and coverage but basing out of three down [linemen]. Our biggest concern is not as much our call, as the mentality and attitude that we execute that call with. We will continue to try and develop a tough, physical hard-nosed attitude on not just our defense, but our entire football team.
Our offensive coordinator, Bo Chapman, has brought with him a run-first offense centering around stretch and outside zone. The success of our run game has provided opportunities in the pass game. All three phases of our program are works in progress as players continue to learn the system and feel more comfortable in the overall schemes.
