new Bob Jones Offensive Coordinator Matt Patterson (left) with assistant coach Chris Lewis (right)
Record Photo/Lindsay Vaught

MADISON-  For the first time in several years, Bob Jones Football Coach Kevin Rose had some hiring to do after three coaches departed for Sparkman. The position that drew the most attention was offensive coordinator.

The job ultimately went to Matt Patterson who is now on board and set to be a history teacher and offensive coordinator at Bob Jones.

Patterson played quarterback at West Alabama and was a graduate assistant there while Will Hall was the head coach (2011-2013 and offensive coordinator (2008-2010). He comes to Bob Jones from Bibb County High School where he was offensive coordinator.

“Matt was highly recommended,” Rose said this week in an interview. “I talked to Bobby Wallace about him. I talked to Will Hall about him. I was impressed that those guys were impressed with him. That is pretty good when guys like that go to bat for you.

He played college football as a quarterback. He is the son of a coach and I like to hire those type guys. They usually have good football knowledge and are good leaders.

He interviewed with me and Mr. Parker. He is young in age but ahead of his time in experience. He’s been around football his whole life.”

Rose said “there was a ton of interest in it (the offensive coordinator job).I had emails from all over the country; from college coaches to high school coaches from Florida to Texas. But it was a teaching position. You had to be a certified history teacher to be a candidate. A lot of the guys who contacted me did not meet the teaching criteria.”

Patterson met the criteria and was brought on board. Chris Lewis was hired as the JV coach and Nick Hastings will coach the ninth grade football team. Adriel Walker and Freddie Griffin are part time coaches.

Former Discovery Head Football Coach Brad Jefferson will coach the running backs.

Rose said that Patterson is well versed in coaching the spread offense.

“He ran an offense at B.B. Comer very similar to what we run here but he will not be calling the plays, I will be doing that, at least for the first year. He will assist me in evaluating film, writing scripts, practice schedule, conducting walk through’s but on Friday nights I will call the plays.”

Rose, himself a former quarterback at Muscle Shoals High School, gave up play calling last year to Chris Cagle, who is now the head coach at Sparkman.