By Johnny Sanders and John Goolsby
SPRINGVILLE—Springville’s Jon Clements resigned as head coach of the Tigers football team on Wednesday morning. He met with the players on Thursday morning to let them know.
The 2023 Tribune Coach of the Year recipient spent four seasons at the helm of the Tigers and compiled a 13-28 record with one playoff appearance.
“It’s hard, man,” said Clements. “One thing I want to be remembered for is being a player’s coach,” he said. “When they needed me, I was there. I may not be the best coach they’ve ever had, and the next coach may be way better than me, but no one can out-love me when it comes to those kids.”
Springville’s Jon Clements and Jake Conner share a hug as Conner exits the game due to a shoulder injury.
Photo by: Kevin Conner
Before arriving at Springville, Clements was the head coach at Corner High School for two years. There, he was 13-9 and made back-to-back playoff appearances.
Clements took over the program, led the previous three years by Michael Graben in 2021, and went 4-6 his first year.
In 2022, the Tigers dropped from 6A to 5A and suffered through a 1-9 season.
The 2023 campaign was much better for Clements and the Tigers. In the off-season, a trip to the Air Force Academy led to implementing a new offense. That daring change led to a 5-5 record in the regular season, the school’s first non-losing record since 2011, and the Tigers’ first playoff appearance since 2009.
The 2024 season was tough, as the bulk of the offensive production from the previous year was lost to graduation. Those departures, plus a late-season torn labrum for quarterback and team leader Jake Conner, led to a 3-6 record.
“I want to thank Former Superintendent Mike Hoard and former Assistant AD Wayne Trucks for having the confidence in me to hire me,” said Clements. “Thank you to Dr. Moore and Warren House for trusting me and always believing in me.”
Clements is one of the biggest cheerleaders for the city of Springville. “The community of Springville, thank you for making Friday nights what they are, and that’s fun,” he said. “You always supported my boys, and I am grateful for that.”
