Pell City introduces Rush Propst as new head football coach

PELL CITY, Ala. (WBRC) - Pell City High School introduced their new head football coach Friday, hoping to turn around the 6A program that finished just 1-9 a year ago competing in Region 6.

Rush Propst is best known for his time as the head coach at Hoover High School where he led the Bucs to five state championships. After his time in Hoover, he compiled an 86-25 record and two state titles at Colquitt County High School in Georgia.

Now, Pell City is looking for Propst to bring that level of success to the Panthers’ program.

“I think this is a great moment,” said interim Athletic Director Jennifer Lee. “I’ve been waiting for this moment as far as bridging the gap with the city and the school system. I think this is an unbelievable opportunity to do that. I think we all need to get on board with coach Propst. I think there’s no question he knows football. He should be in the Hall of Fame and we’re going to try to get him there.”

Propst said turning around the program isn’t just about football, but about every program in the school buying into the same goal.

“At Hoover, people think Hoover’s always won. It has not,” he said. “They were, 4-6, 3-7, 4-6, with no success. Then we turned it around. We didn’t make the playoffs in the first year. But once we won a state title, everybody started winning in our school. Of the 19 sports, we won a state championship in 18 sports while I was there. So, it’s not all about football, it’s about everybody pulling together for one purpose.”

The Panthers are 13-37 since 2018, but wins and losses aren’t something that Propst will talk about.

“I don’t talk about winning seasons either,” he said. “I don’t talk about goals. There’s only one goal in football, on the field. That’s to be a state champion. And that’s the only thing you’re going to hear me talk about. When is that going to happen? I can’t tell you that. I don’t know that.”

When speaking to the players sitting in attendance, Athletic Director Lee said it comes down to them.

“I’m going to say this to you and I need you to listen, it starts with y’all,” she said. “You’ve got to buy in, to be in here every single day and work hard. There’s no other ingredients for success. Those two things come first. You can’t have success without that. You need to make a decision about that.”

Propst promised his team and the community that they will get his very best.

“My job is to make you believe,” he said. “From day one, to be big you have to think big. If you’re going to be a champion, we must treat you like a champion. I’ve always believed that. If you make them believe they’re a championship caliber group, then they’ll perform a lot better. At the end of the day, it’s about what you put into it.”

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