MT. VERNON, IL — Mt. Vernon Township High School has a new Head Football Coach. Greg Graves was hired as the new Rams’ leader at a special board meeting on Monday. Coach Graves is very familiar to those in the youth sports scene in the area. He currently serves as the director of youth football for the Jefferson County Sports Authority and was an assistant coach at MVTHS last season.

Graves says he has high hopes for the football program going forward, a program that has struggled mightily in recent years.

Mt. Vernon hired Trevor Durham back in May to replace Jerod Kessler, but Durham resigned in August to return to Breese Mater Dei where he had been an assistant coach. Mt. Vernon’s last winning season and playoff appearance came in 2013. The Rams have lost 46 of 54 games since, including three winless seasons.

You can hear the full interview with Coach Graves on the Saturday Sports Show starting after the 8am news on WMIX AM940/96.5FM. You can also listen to Coach Graves on the Southern Illinois Insider this Sunday with WMIX including 94.1FM, starting at 11am.