Bingham hires Roy High defensive coordinator Eric Jones as head football coach
MATT HERP/Standard-Examiner
Roy football defensive coordinator Eric Jones guides players during tackling drills Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016, at Roy High School.
Northern Utah’s annual high school football head coaching shuffle started in earnest back in November almost immediately after the end of the 2021 season.
Though the head coaching shuffle is likely done for now, at least one more big move happened Thursday in the assistant coaching ranks.
Bingham High announced it has hired Roy High assistant coach Eric Jones to be the Miners’ new head coach. The school’s principal, Rodney Shaw, made an announcement on social media about Jones’ hire.
The South Jordan school had a vacancy after its previous head coach, Dave Peck, retired in December following his second stint as the Miners’ head coach.
Jones, a Roy High and Weber State alumnus, has taught math and coached football as the defensive coordinator at Roy High for 11 years.
“To be honest, coming into the offseason I wasn’t planning or anticipating applying for any head coach openings. Obviously I’m super happy at Roy, Freddie (Fernandes has) been very accommodating to me here,” Jones told the Standard-Examiner on Thursday. “But there’s a small handful of programs everybody keeps their eye on when they come open, I feel like you at least gotta throw your name in the hat and see what happens.”
Jones called Bingham a premier program in the state and anyone who follows Utah high school football knows that’s still an accurate description of the Miners. Bingham has won 11 state football championships, including seven since 2006.
In the last four seasons, the Miners have been usurped as the state’s top dog by the likes of Lone Peak and Corner Canyon, though they’re still regarded each year as one of a handful of preseason 6A state title favorites.
Bingham went 7-5 last year and lost 21-14 at eventual 6A champ Lone Peak in the quarterfinals. The Miners are scheduled, as of Thursday, to open the 2022 season at Weber High (Bingham beat Weber 55-35 in the 2021 season opener).
Jones said he’ll start at Bingham in two weeks as a teacher. Jones said he felt mixed emotions leaving Roy High, but he’s also excited for the chance to coach at Bingham and see what he can accomplish.