Jacksonville St. promotes Grass to head coach

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. -- Jacksonville State has promoted offensive coordinator John Grass to head coach.

The Gamecocks elevated Grass on Tuesday night, hours after announcing that Bill Clark was leaving after one season. Clark will be introduced as UAB's head coach on Wednesday.

Grass was offensive coordinator and assistant head coach last season after 17 years as a head coach in the high school ranks.

Grass, a 1990 Jacksonville State graduate, led an offense that set 49 school records during the Gamecocks' run to the FCS playoffs.

Jacksonville State had 24 scoring drives of less than one minute. The Gamecocks' 6,637 yards of total offense was 1,755 yards more than the previous record.

The team also scored 528 points, 107 more than the previous mark set in 1991, and produced a Ohio Valley Conference-record 48 rushing touchdowns.