Springville coach Jon Clements (left) and Pell City coach Rush Propst talk before the game in Springville, Ala., Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. (Mark Almond | preps@al.com)Mark Almond | preps@al.com
Editors note: An earlier version of this story stated Pell City head coach Rush Propst had been fired. This story has been corrected to reflect Propst was not fired. AL.com apologizes for this error.
As a special called meeting Wednesday morning was held before a packed house, an agenda item before the Pell City School Board of Education to fire controversial football coach Rush Propst failed when no one on the board made a motion to vote.
The agenda item called for the non-renewal of Propst’s contract and a contract for his wife, who works for the school system as a secretary.
No one on the board offered a motion to vote on the item so it died, keeping the contracts in place for the Propsts.
“I’m just proud to be the head football coach at Pell City,” Propst told AL.com after the meeting, which he did not attend. “Our work here is not done. Obviously there was a movement somewhere, but the powers that be saw fit to keep me as head coach.”
RELATED: Propst supporters blame “jealousy, vindictiveness”
A large crowd of supporters, including members of the Pell City football team, gathered at the Board meeting to support Propst. A rally in support of the coach also was held Tuesday night. When the motion to fire Propst died, the large crowd applauded.
“I think there is a lot of support for our football program and what we are trying to get done,” Propst said. “There is always going to be back biting. You are going to have to fight through things, but the good thing is better days are ahead. I want to thank the Board for continuing to give me this opportunity. I’m excited to be the coach here. We have a lot of work to do. It won’t turn around quickly. It will take some time. This thing was dead on arrival when I got here, and I’m excited to move in a positive direction.”
Propst, who rose to fame in leading Hoover to national prominence went 1-9 in his first season at Pell City. They forfeited a second win (24-16 over Center Point) due to an eligibility issue.
Neither Board members nor superintendent James Martin spoke to the media following the meeting. Asked if he thought the controversy surrounding his job future was over, Propst told AL.com, “I think I’m good.”
He also said he was thankful for the show of support from the community and his football team.
“It makes you feel great,” he said. “It makes you want to go to work. It sort of feels like you are starting over again. I was so happy to see our football team there. I was at the fieldhouse talking to college coaches. I turned around and there were no players. They were all at the meeting.
“I do appreciate their support. A lot of positive things are headed our way. We’ve still got some things to get through, but every school has problems. You just have to navigate and keep doing what we came here to do, and that is to build a proud program at Pell City.”
Board members Norman Wilder and Greg Crump spoke at the meeting in support of Propst and Wilder recommended asking for the resignation of the superintendent rather than Propst. That also brought a large reaction from the crowd.
A crowd of supporters, including football team members, gathers outside Wednesday's special called Pell City Board of Education meeting in support of coach Rush Propst. (Evan Dudley | preps@al.com)Evan Dudley | preps@al.com
Propst was officially hired at Pell City on March 31, 2023. He had returned to coaching in Alabama the previous January when he was hired as the associate head coach at Class 1A Coosa Christian in Gadsden.
Prior to being hired at Coosa, Propst last coached in Alabama in 2007 when he led Hoover to a 6-6 record. He won five Class 6A titles with the Bucs, including four in a row from 2002-2005. He went 110-16 in nine years as head coach at Hoover.
He won a pair of state titles in 11 years as head coach at Colquitt County, Ga., racking up 119 more victories. He’s also been head coach at Ashville (1989-1992), Eufaula (1993-1996), Alba/Alma Bryant (1997-1998) and Valdosta, Ga. (2020).
“I feel very strongly that this is possibly the last chapter in my coaching career,” Propst said after being hired in Pell City.
He had been out of coaching for two years, watching his son play football at Piedmont, prior to taking the job at Coosa and then Pell City.
The Pell City Board of Education meeting attracted a large crowd Wednesday morning. On the agenda, non-renewal of football coach Rush Propst. (Evan Dudley | preps@al.com)Evan Dudley | preps@al.com
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