Rush Propst
Rush Propst (born 1958 in Ohatchee, Calhoun County) was the head coach of the successful Hoover High School football team from 1999 to 2007, winning five state 6A championships and earning several national rankings. He resigned effective after the 2007 season following scandals involving grade-changes for student athletes and personal impropriety.
Propst grew up in Ohatchee, playing under Ragan Clark at Ohatchee High School. He graduated in 1976 and walked on as a wide receiver at Jacksonville State University. After college, he worked as an assistant coach for eight years at Cleburne County High School in Heflin, Cherokee High School in Canton, Georgia, and Ashville High School in Ashville, where he became head football coach in 1989.
Propst continued his head coaching career with stings at Eufala High School (1994 - 1996), and Alba High School in Bayou La Batre (1997). Alba merged the following year with Grand Bay High School to become Alma Bryant High School. Propst coached that school to a 12-2 record in 1998 before he was hired at Hoover.
Propst was initially hired as athletic director and football coach, but stepped down from the AD position after six months. Under Coach Propst, the Hoover Buccaneers adopted a pass-heavy spread offense. The team went 7-3 in 1999, then climbed to 14-1 in 2000, beating Daphne High School for the first of five state championships. (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005). Hoover went to the title game again in 2006, losing to Prattville High School. The 2005 and 2006 seasons were the subject of the MTV reality series "Two-A-Days", which made Propst into a national figure.
The 2007 season was marked by continuous rumors of scandal, resignations by school officials, and a detailed investigation of Propst and Hoover's entire athletics program. The investigation found serious academic improprieties and resulted in Propst's resignation. Under his agreement with the Hoover School Board, Propst will step down as head coach after the 2007 playoffs and remain in an administrative position through August 31, 2008.
Controversy
In June 2007 athletic director Jerry Browning resigned, citing differences with principal Richard Bishop (a former JSU team-mate of Propst's). At that time, Browning expressed concern over reports of grade-changes made for certain athletes that he had turned over to Hoover City Schools superintendent Andy Craig. Craig announced that an investigation would be carried out by former federal judge Sam Pointer.
At the same time, rumors about Propst's personal life were swirling. Reporter Hunter Ford discussed allegations of an long-term affair and a "second family" on the air during a broadcast of the Paul Finebaum Radio Network from WJOX-FM. Ford was fired from the Hoover Gazette when publisher John Junkin called the station immediately after the segment.
Ford's July 4, 2007 column for Bessemer's Western Star further detailed the anonymous allegations of three children born out of wedlock. That paper apologized later for printing the allegations, but did not formally retract them. Propst consistently refused to acknowledge any discussion of the subject.
When Bishop's contract was not renewed by the school board, his attorneys sent a letter to the board which repeated the claims about Propst's private life -- adding rumors of an affair with a Hoover teacher and another school official. It went on to say that Craig had instructed Bishop not to investigate those claims. That letter was obtained by the Birmingham News and published in their July 28, 2007 edition. Propst's attorney denied all of those allegations.
The Hoover School Board, under pressure from Hoover mayor Tony Petelos, decided to make Pointer's full report public. The report identified assistant principal Carol Martin as the instigator of the grade-changing incidents, repeating claims that she had an affair with Propst. It also reported that bank records confirmed that Propst had provided financial support to a family in Pell City.
Propst came under further scrutiny when Hanceville High School complained to the Alabama High School Athletic Association that a former player of theirs, Tristan Purifoy, did not transfer properly to Hoover High and was therefore ineligible. On October 23, 2007, the ASHAA ruled that Purifoy was indeed ineligible, and that the Bucs would have to forfeit all games in which Purifoy played. The investigation resulted in four games being forfeited, including a 1-0 forfeit loss to crosstown rival Spain Park High School, the first loss to the Jaguars in the history of the teams' rivalry. Despite the forfeits, the Bucs still qualified for the ASHAA playoffs by defeating Oak Mountain High on October 26, thereby securing the fourth seed in Class 6A Region 6.
Propst was named Coach of the Year by the Birmingham News in each of his championship seasons and by the Monday Morning Quarterback Club in 2000 and 2005. His overall head-coaching record is 176-59 (108-15 at Hoover).
Both of Propsts parents died of cancer (his father in 1994 and his mother ten years later). He has a wife (Tammy) and three children (Jacob, Bryan and Leanne).
Resignation
At a special meeting of the Hoover Board of Education on October 30, 2007, Propst announced that he would resign, continuing to coach the team as far as they progress in the 2007 playoffs. After that, he will be transferred to an administrative assistant position, where he will serve until August 31, 2008.
In a 30-minute address to the board and a large crowd inside the board chambers, Propst tearfully admitted to a relationship outside his marriage and a child as a result of that relationship, but no other wrongdoing. "I am remorseful for what I have done. I have failed you as a community. I have failed you as a board, and especially I have failed you (Superintendent) Andy (Craig)," Propst said. "I made mistakes. I could have done things differently, but I don't admit wrongdoing inside the walls of Hoover High School."
DVDs
Propst has been featured in a DVD title "Building A Championship Football Program 12 Months A Year," published in 2007.
References
- "Rush Propst." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 31 Oct 2007, 06:12 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 31 Oct 2007 [1].
- Lyons, Patrick J. (October 17, 2007) "Storm Clouds over a Powerhouse Football Coach." The New York Times.
- Srinivasan, David (July 2004) "Instant Success: Hoover High School's Rush Propst" American Football Monthly.
- Stock, Erin and Jon Solomon (June 23, 2007) "Superintendent pledges independent probe." Birmingham News.
- Scarbinsky, Kevin (June 24, 2007) "Hoover High may be own worst enemy." Birmingham News.
- Stock, Erin and Jon Solomon (June 26, 2007) "No promises in Hoover probe." Birmingham News.
- Stock, Erin (June 28, 2007) "Principal was warned off Propst, lawyers say." Birmingham News.
- Stock, Erin and Jon Solomon (October 11, 2007) "Hoover board to release full report." Birmingham News.
- Solomon, Jon (October 14, 2007) "Questions, answers in Hoover." Birmingham News.
- Solomon, Jon (October 23, 2007) "Hoover must forfeit games due to ineligible player." Birmingham News.
- Steinbauer, Peter (October 18, 2007) "AHSAA Probes Player's Status." Birmingham News.
- Solomon, Jon and Erin Stock (October 30, 2007) "Rush Propst resigns but will coach through end of playoffs." Birmingham News.