Chris Jones is heading to Starkville High School.

The Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District approved the hire Wednesday afternoon, clearing the way for the former Kemper County head coaching to take over a Yellowjackets team that has won six state championships.

Jones led Kemper County to the school’s first football title last season. He complied a 46-12 record in four seasons at the school.

“I’m grateful for Kemper Co. allowing me to be a head coach because it’s hard to get an opportunity,” he said. “For them to give me a chance, and for me to be able to do the stuff that I did, is huge.”

Jones also thanked his players.

“I owe a lot of my success to my players because, at the end of the day, they bought in,” he said. “I had a good group of players. I had been offered jobs before, and I always said it’s going to have to be a really good one for me to leave because I knew what I had a Kemper.”