After one very controversial year, Rush Propst is out as the head coach at Valdosta, the nation’s winningest high school football program. Earlier this week, the Valdosta School Board voted 5-3 to not renew Propst contract that expires June 30.
The vote comes after the Georgia High School Association rejected the school’s appeal of sanctions leveled against the program under Propst direction.
Earlier this month, the GHSA fined the Valdosta High School football program $7,500 and banned it from the 2021 Georgia high school playoffs for rules violations relating to recruiting and a lack of administrative control. In addition, the school is on probation for the upcoming season and was forced to forfeit seven 2020 wins in which ineligible players were used.
Propst firing closes the book his era with the Wildcats, which made national news after a secretly-recorded conversation with former booster club member Michael “Nub” Nelson was made public. During the conversation Propst, who was hired by Valdosta last spring, told Nelson he needed “funny money” to help pay for living expenses for players and their families who moved into the district.
Related: Propst talks about hiring at Valdosta
Propst owns seven high school football state titles, five of them at Hoover in Alabama and two at Colquitt County in Georgia. His 2015 Colquitt County team was named High School Football America’s “mythical” national champs. He was fired after from CC amid controversy between the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Related: Colquitt County HSFA “mythical” national champs
In 2007, he left Hoover under a cloud of issues. He became nationally-known when he was the central figure in the MTV show Two-A-Days that chronicled his 2005 and 2006 teams.
Last year, Valdosta finished 7-5, losing in the Class 6A state semifinals. With the forfeits, Valdosta heads into the 2021 season with 929 all-time wins, which is the most in America.
