Our guest this week for our ITG Next Alabama “4 Questions with the Coach” feature is Rush Propst, who began his coaching career in his home state in 1979 and now has returned for what could very well be his final coaching stop. Propst is set to begin the 2023 season as the head football coach at Pell City, where he was hired in the offseason, just two months after an announcement that he had been hired as associate head football coach and athletic director at Coosa Christian.
Propst would have worked alongside coach Mark O’Bryant at Coosa Christian, but before he really became established with the Conquerors, reports began circulating that he was being considered for the head coaching job at Pell City. Those reports turned out to be true, and Propst was introduced as the Panthers head football coach on March 31.
In this week’s 4 Questions with the Coach, we ask Propst about his new post with Pell City, which might be not only his last stop in a 31-year-plus coaching career, but also perhaps his toughest challenge yet. You can also hear Coach Propst each week in our Pell City Coach’s Show Podcast.
Q. Coach, congratulations on your new coaching position there at Pell City. I’m sure you are ready to return to the sideline, right?
A. Yes, very excited to be back in Alabama, where I spent 26 years coaching high school football.
Q. How did this opportunity to be the Pell City football coach come about?
A. First and foremost, it is close to where I grew up. Second, it is where my wife graduated from. And third, it is a great place to live. Pell City has great potential.
Q. It’s no secret that Pell City has been through numerous coaches over the past few years, and they were good coaches. However, they never really had much success there. How do you plan to be different from those who have come before you and turn Pell City into a winner?
A. First and foremost you must invest in people. We have hired 15 coaches since April 10. You must invest in your middle school and junior high programs. You must increase the number of players over what they have had in the past. Lastly, I have always believed that you must treat players like champions and then they will play like champions.
Q. What kind of team do you have? What are the areas of strength with this 2023 Pell City football team? I know the players, the parents, and the boosters are excited, but also what are some areas where your team needs to improve?
A. Areas of strength are our offensive and defensive lines have good size, and we have a lot of depth in our D-line. Our offensive size and defensive depth. We must improve our mindset. We must change our practice habits. This will be an overall rebuild.
