Marietta High football coach Jason Schob looks on during a game against Circleville this season at Don Drumm Stadium. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

After 11 years at the helm for his alma mater, Marietta High football coach Jason Schob is ready for a change.

At Thursday’s Fort Frye Board of Education meeting, Schob was approved as a physical education teacher and plans to join the FFHS coaching staff as an offensive coordinator, meaning his tenure as Marietta’s football coach has come to an end.

Schob let his players at MHS know what was happening earlier in the day Thursday.

“This is the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make,” said Schob, who graduated from Marietta High in 2005 after a standout career at quarterback.

“I’ve prayed about this for a really long time. There’s a lot of instability in the district. I love and care about our players so much. Being a Marietta alum, I had every plan and expectation to be here until I retired. Sometimes, God has a plan bigger than ours. With the instability and current climate of our district, now is the right time for me to step away from my current roles at Marietta.”

Marietta head coach Jason Schob, right, talks with quarterback Drew Warden during this season’s game at Morgan. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

After graduating from high school, Schob attended the University of Findlay, where he was a member of the football team and a business major. After suffering an injury, Schob opted to transfer to Ohio Valley University and switched his major to education with the goal of one day having an impact on the youth in his community.

After college, he spent several years as an assistant coach at Marietta and Warren before becoming the head man for the orange and black in 2014.

“I said when I got hired this was my dream job,” Schob said. “In the history of Marietta football, there hadn’t been that much continuity. I’m definitely very, very blessed to have the opportunity to work with the kids in this community. The kids are the ones who kept me here, and the hardest part of this is saying goodbye to them. I told them even though I’m not at Marietta, I’m always just a call or text away.”

Taking over a program that had won nine total games the previous five seasons, Schob compiled a 46-64 record in 11 years at Marietta.

He guided the Tigers to their first playoff appearance (2023) and winning record (2024) since 2002, when he was a starting defensive back on the team.

There are countless games and memories that stand out to Schob — including this year’s comeback win against Circleville at Don Drumm Stadium — but what stands out the most is the behind-the-scenes part of football.

“What people don’t see on Friday nights is the grind you go through with the kids,” Schob said. “Whether it’s at school, lifting sessions, summer workouts — those relationships are what really matters.”

Schob wouldn’t rule out the possibility of becoming a head coach again someday, but for now he’s excited to make an impact at Fort Frye as an assistant for head coach Eric Huck.

“I’ve been blessed to have a bunch of coaches I really respect reach out to me,” Schob said. “Coach Huck heard about some of the things going on a while ago. As things progressed, he reached out. I have a ton of respect for Coach Huck, his staff and the way they run their program. I’m eager to contribute, support their team and work with their student-athletes.”

Schob’s father, Andy, who Jason coached under at Marietta and Warren, is the principal at Fort Frye. His sister, Tiffany, is a teacher in the district. Family has always played a key role in Schob’s decision-making.

“I’m very blessed,” he said. “I’d like to thank my wife (Brittany) and kids as well. Being a head coach is a major time commitment. You miss a lot of time, but they’ve always been very supportive.”

Jason and Brittany have three kids — Leah, Carter and Grayson — with a fourth, Harper, due in March.

“This is definitely a bittersweet moment,” Schob said. “Fort Frye is a tremendous opportunity, a tremendous school district with tremendous kids, but I’ve built a lot of great relationships at Marietta and it’s hard to say goodbye.

“Even though this transition at this point isn’t what I planned or expected, I have faith God has a plan much bigger than mine and I’m excited to serve the students in the Fort Frye School District.”

Contact Jordan Holland at jholland@mariettatimes.com.