By MIKE HUTCHENS
Messenger Sports Editor
A former Obion County Central head football coach has landed a job close to his heart.
Jason Driggers, who spent one season at the Rebel helm in 2007, was to be named the head coach at Jackson South Side High School today.
It will be the third stint for Driggers with the Hawk program after he served two different periods as an assistant at JSS. For the past two seasons, he was Dan Bland’s defensive coordinator at Humboldt.
Driggers will replace longtime Hawk head coach Jerry Hayes at the Madison County school after Hayes stepped down from the post for the second time late last year.
“I’m from Arkansas, but South Side has always sort of been my home away from home,” Driggers told The Messenger this morning. “I’m excited to have another chance to be a head coach and I’ve learned a lot from a couple of very good head coaches since my time at Obion Central.
“As far as it being the third time for me to be at South Side, I’ve always heard two sayings: The third time’s the charm and three strikes and you’re out. I’m obviously hoping for the first of those.”
Plagued by an inexperienced and injury-riddled roster and facing a murderous schedule that included games against eight teams with winning records, Driggers and OCCHS did not win a game in his only season at Troy.
The coach and his team encountered other unforeseen obstacles that year when his newly-hired offensive coordinator, Eric Knott, left to take the head coaching job in Dresden just before preseason practice began in July. Driggers and OC then lost one of their better players when starting quarterback Logan Parker transferred to Dyersburg where former OC head coach Darren Bowling had taken that job.
Despite the lack of success on the field, the area and OCCHS still has a special spot with the 36-year-old Driggers.
“I’ll always be indebted to the people at Obion Central. They gave me my first shot at being a head coach, and I still consider myself as having some friends there,” he said.
“I think I’m a different coach now. Obviously, I’m more experienced. And I’ve learned that it’s really important to be yourself. I can’t wait to get started at South Side.”
Driggers came to Obion County Central after five years at Jackson South Side, the last two as defensive coordinator and special teams coach.
He left the Rebels to return to JSS as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach after Hayes resigned the first time and Carey Craig was hired for that position.
Driggers also worked for veteran McKenzie head coach Wade Comer as an assistant for two seasons.
Sports editor Mike Hutchens can be contacted by email at mhutch@ucmessenger.com.

Published in The Messenger 1.25.13