Less than two weeks after controversial former Hoover High School football coach Rush Propst's name was once again in the news, he resigned as head football coach at Pell City High School.
On April 24, it was initially reported that Propst had been fired, but that was reversed when, at a specially called board meeting, no one made a motion to fire him, despite a motion from the school district president.
At the time, Propst didn't go into specifics, simply saying he was moving forward and focused on the upcoming season.
But last weekend, Propst announced he was stepping down as head coach of the Panthers, and the school promoted former University of Alabama football player Nick Gentry as his successor, at Propst's recommendation.
— Coach Rush Propst (@PropstRush) May 3, 2024
Football Head Coach Nick Gentry
Win the day 🥇#UATW 🌏 #ATM pic.twitter.com/81mfYkmsgi
— Pell City Football (@PellCityFTBL) May 4, 2024
Propst remained somewhat enigmatic while appearing on “The Opening Kickoff” on 105.5 WNSP in Mobile on Monday morning to explain his reasons for stepping down.
“Behind the scenes things are never what they seem. There are things that happen that are hidden from the public eye. I felt like the attention was getting in the way and it was time to step back. Kids are always huddled around me fighting their little battles… I was tired of fighting,” Propst said.
RELATED: Rush Propst says 'we're moving forward,' refuses to dig into Pell City drama
“I didn't feel good about it… I felt it was divisive and would be very soon. I don't think it goes away completely just because the superintendent was defeated like that. Every time you turn around there's always something different, but I just didn't feel like I was the right person to lead the program this time.”
Propst said only the Pell City school superintendent seems prepared to fire him, but he was referring to the fact that something has clearly changed since the vote two weeks ago.
What that is exactly is unclear, and it's quite possible Propst will never reveal it.
Despite stepping down from Pell City, Propst isn't necessarily done with coaching and said he plans to eventually look for another job.
“Maybe I can find a place that has the same vision as me. I think my vision has been pretty good. I've been through a lot of controversy in my career but I've pushed through it. When people hire me, I will be honest with them if there's something wrong. I'm not very diplomatic. I believe in trying as hard as I can to make things right but sometimes that may antagonize people,” he said.
You can listen to Propst's full interview from Monday morning here:
Michael Browner is a senior sports analyst and contributor to Yellow Hammer News. You can follow him on Twitter. translation:
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