George Francis “Snoozy” Jones, a familiar face to generations of student-athletes and shoppers on the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus, died July 6. He was 91.
From Montgomery roots to Birmingham’s campus
Born Dec. 24, 1934, Jones grew up in Montgomery and graduated from Sidney Lanier High School, where he played football. He attended Virginia Tech on a football scholarship and later completed a teaching certificate at Huntingdon College. In March 1956 he married Sarah Agatha Cauthen; the couple remained married for 65 years until her death in 2021.
Coaching and officiating that shaped local programs
Jones built a long career in coaching and officiating before becoming a fixture at UAB. He coached football, basketball and track at Bellingrath Middle School in Montgomery for three years. He returned to Sidney Lanier High School in 1961, where he coached track and field and assisted in football and basketball programs. Under his guidance, Lanier’s teams captured multiple state titles in track and cross-country and supported championship runs in football and basketball during his tenure.
- High school championships: Lanier teams won two outdoor track state championships, one indoor track state championship and one cross-country title.
- Football and basketball impact: His work helped the school's programs earn five state football championships and four basketball state titles.
- Officiating and organization: Jones co-founded the Mid-State Alabama Officials Association and officiated at the high school and college levels in football, basketball and track.
UAB and Snoozy’s College Bookstore
Jones is also remembered in Birmingham for the business he opened with family members. In 1983 he and his wife, son George Jr. and daughter-in-law Virginia opened Snoozy’s College Bookstore on 11th Avenue South, serving UAB students and alumni for 34 years before Jones retired in 2017. The bookstore became a campus destination for textbooks, UAB merchandise and alumni apparel.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1934 | Born in Montgomery |
| 1961 | Returned to Sidney Lanier High School to coach |
| 1983 | Opened Snoozy’s College Bookstore on UAB campus |
| 2012 | Inducted into Alabama High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame |
| 2017 | Retired from bookstore operations |
| 2026 | Died July 6 at age 91 |
"George Francis ‘Snoozy’ Jones, the original University of Alabama at Birmingham football line coach, bookstore owner and Alabama High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame member, died July 6."
The Alabama High School Athletic Association inducted Jones into its Hall of Fame in 2012, recognizing his long service to student-athletes and to officiating in Alabama. His role as one of the original coaches for UAB’s football program positions him in the early history of a program that has since become a key part of the university’s identity.
Family and friends in Birmingham and beyond will remember Jones both for his work on the field and for the small business he helped sustain on campus. Snoozy’s College Bookstore, which opened in the early 1980s on 11th Avenue South, was a commercial and social touchpoint for students, alumni and staff for more than three decades.
As Birmingham institutions and high school programs reflect on his passing, Jones’ legacy will be measured in trophies and titles, but also in the generations of athletes, officials and students who crossed paths with him at practices, games and the campus bookstore.
Services and remembrances have not been detailed in the available report.
