Story By Jason Bowen

After Peyton Grant’s hiring as North Jackson head baseball coach was made official, the Scottsboro alum had several former teammates and classmates chime in about him taking over a rival program.

“Nothing too crazy,” Grant said with a laugh. “But no, everybody was really happy for me and supportive.” 

Grant’s hiring was made official during last Wednesday’s Jackson County Board of Education meeting.

“We are so excited to have Coach Grant lead our baseball program,” said North Jackson principal Josh Harding. “He checks all of the boxes. He is a great man of character and I am looking forward to not only watching him coach the game of baseball, but develop our student-athletes into great young men both on and off the field.”

Grant said North Jackson’s rich baseball tradition attracted him to the position. The Chiefs have made the playoffs 21 times since the school opened during the 1988-89 school year and the Chiefs have reached the playoffs 16 times since 2005, a span that includes eight area championship, five Class 4A state quarterfinal appearances and two state semifinal appearances.

“It’s a great place to coach baseball,” Grant said. “They’ve had a lot of success here and have expectations, and I’m excited to have the chance to meet those expectations.”

Grant was a three-year starter and a .317 career hitter for Scottsboro from 2017-19. He posted a .367 batting average (33-for-90) during his senior season, totaling eight doubles, one triple, one home run, nine walks, 13 stolen bases and 16 runs scored while helping the Wildcats win the Class 5A Area 15 championship. During his junior season, Grant was hit by pitch a then state-record tying four times during a game against North Jackson. Grant was also two-year starting defensive back for the Scottsboro football program, posting a combined 94 tackles, three interceptions, nine pass break-ups, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries during the 2017-18 seasons.

After high school, Grant signed to play college baseball at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee and spent five seasons with the program before teaching and coaching at Lincoln County High School in Fayetteville, Tennessee last school year. Grant was an middle school baseball assistant for head coach Travis Pate during his time at Lincoln County last spring, which won Tennessee’s middle school baseball state title.

Grant called himself “fortunate to have been around so many great coaches,” during his playing and coaching career, adding that all of them have helped mold his coaching philosophies. 

“I’m able to take certain things from different coaches and kind of pile it all together,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot over the years from being around such great coaches.”

Grant said he hopes to be that type of influence on his players.

“I’ve had a great coaches that have helped me a lot,” he said, “not just in baseball, and I want to do the same to my players.”