The Quitting Kind: Rush Propst's Surprising Resignation

That thud you heard recently in East Central Alabama was the other shoe dropping in the Rush Propst resignation saga.

With Rush, there’s always more. Nothing is ever quite as it seems. Pell City schools superintendent Dr. James Martin called a special board of education meeting on April 24 to discuss the non-renewal of football coach Rush Propst's contract.

Rush Propst, again, was in the middle of a firestorm. A place where the coach has spent considerable time during his illustrious career. His team and the community at-large turned out in droves to support their embattled coach.

An emotional day played out before an overflow crowd at a hastily called Special BOE meeting that began at 8am on the morning of April 24. Tearful and terse, the board decided to renew Propst contract while one member called for the resignation of Dr. James Martin. Martin, who remained staunchly opposed to retaining Propst, was widely criticized by the board and within the community for his opposition of the controversial coach.

For a moment all was right with the world again. The earth was back on its axis. Pell City breathed a sigh of relief. Their long-awaited football messiah was back from the dead.

The Panthers partied like it was 1999.

On May 3, Propst, seemingly out of nowhere resigned, issuing a statement on “X” citing “controversy or division” in the community, saying it was the “best path” for the players and the school system.

He won the battle but suddenly no longer wanted to fight the war.

Rush Propst did that?

Without a fight? Without a fuss? And he took the high road? Say what?

Since when did Rush Propst become the quitting kind? He certainly didn’t roll over when things started going south at Hoover. In fact, he denied the allegations and dug in even deeper. In the end he did the right thing only because he had too. Not because his moral compass compelled him too. He didn’t go down without a fight at Colquitt Co. or Valdosta.

So why here? Why now?

In a recent story on AL.com it was learned Propst owes a significant amount of money to his ex-wife Tammy Propst.

Divorce documents issued on Feb. 26 2009 state Propst is required to pay his ex-wife, Tammy, $2,000 per month until he dies or until his ex-wife “shall die, remarry or live openly, or cohabit, with a member of the opposite sex.”

According to AL.com Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Thomas E. Thrash Jr. in an order dated April 26, 2024 required Propst to pay $6,540 to Tammy Propst, as well as, $8,000 in legal fees. It was also revealed Propst owed arrears in the amount of $106,000 “representing no payment whatsoever toward said obligation of 53 months prior to the court filing.” With interest included, the total was $123,875.

Judge Thrash ordered Propst’s employer, Pell City schools, to withhold $2,000 per month from his income to meet these financial obligations.

And now we know the rest of the story.

Rush Propst Resigned From Pell City After Just One Year.Photo byKarl L. Moore/Albany Herald