Photo courtesy of Jason Kervin
Jason Kervin has been hired as the head coach at Oak Mountain High School. Photo courtesy of Jason Kervin.
Oak Mountain High School didn't have to look far to find its next head football coach.
Jason Kervin, whose roots run deep in Shelby County, was announced Tuesday as the new head coach of the Oak Mountain football program.
Kervin comes from Pelham, where he is currently serving as the strength and conditioning coordinator for Pelham City Schools.
"The opportunity to coach [Class] 7A football in this region, in this area, it's where the best football is played and where the best coaches are," he said. "That's something that, as a competitor, you want."
Kervin grew up in the area, playing for his father DeWayne at Shelby Academy. Kervin was the quarterback on the 1998 team that won the state championship, the first in his dad's career. DeWayne Kervin won 172 games in 26 years at Shelby Academy, retiring after winning his second state title in 2006.
Jason Kervin is no stranger to Oak Mountain's competition in Region 3, having spent 12 years of his career as an assistant coach with Josh Niblett at Hoover.. In his 12 years at Hoover, the Bucs won six state championships. Prior to that, Kervin was an assistant coach at Calera for two seasons, including Calera's run to the state semifinals in 2007.
"Throughout the search process, it was clear that Coach Kervin brings the perfect blend of leadership, integrity and vision that will elevate our program to new heights," Oak Mountain athletics director Chris Blight said in a statement. "His passion for developing student-athletes, both as competitors and as young men, aligns perfectly with the values we hold as a school and a community."
He was most recently the head coach at Alpharetta High in Georgia, spending five seasons there. His team advanced to the playoffs four times and posted an 8-4 record in 2022. He said he learned quite a bit in his first foray leading his own program. Chief among those lessons was the importance of having "alignment" from the coaching staff all the way up to the school system administration.
"That's something we're going to have at Oak Mountain," Kervin said.
Oak Mountain last made the playoffs in 2021, and Kervin knows the challenges of advancing through Region 3 well. But he believes plenty of good days are ahead for the Eagles as long as they believe in the potential of the program.
"We are confident that under his guidance, Oak Mountain football will continue to grow, compete and represent this community with pride," Blight said.
"You're going to get a coach that's passionate, that will push the kids, love them, coach them hard, be disciplined, and when we get on the field on Friday nights, that's what we're going to do," Kervin added.
A meet-and-greet will take place Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. in the Oak Mountain High School gymnasium.
"I feel back home," Kervin said.
