After three seasons at Auburn, J.B. Grimes has accepted an offer to coach the offensive line at Cincinnati, Auburn Undercover has learned.

J.B. Grimes will join his son on the staff at Cincinnati.

Grimes interviewed with Cincinnati head coach Tommy Tuberville at the American Football Coaches Association in San Antonio on Sunday. He plans to move to Cincinnati later this week.

The official announcement is expected Monday.

Grimes, knowledgeable sources said, had the option to return to Auburn as offensive line coach next season.

Penn State offensive line coach Herb Hand is head coach Gus Malzahn’s top target to replace Grimes, sources said.

For Grimes, who followed Malzahn from Arkansas State in earlier 2013, it will be an opportunity to work with his son, Nick, who is a graduate assistant at Cincinnati and coaches tight ends. Sources close to Grimes said the opportunity to work with his son was a major factor in the decision.

Grimes has coached on the collegiate level for more than 30 years. He helped the 2013 Tigers win the SEC championship and play for the national championship. His offensive line paved the way for an average of 328.3 rushing yards per game, leading the nation. The Tigers led the SEC in rushing again in 2014.

Grimes tutored left tackle Greg Robinson, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2014 NFL draft and is now the starting left tackle for the St. Louis Rams, and Reese Dismukes, who won the Rimington Trophy in 2014 as the nation’s top center. Chad Slade, a starter for Grimes in 2013 and 2014, is on the Houston Texans’ roster.

Guard Alex Kozan was a freshman All-American in 2013 and Braden Smith was a freshman All-SEC selection in 2014.

Last summer, Grimes underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his tongue. Six days later, he was on the field for Auburn's first day of preseason practice.

"J.B.'s probably the toughest coach in college football," Malzahn said at the time.