Hoover High School Head Coach Drew Gilmer Resigns After Alleged Abuse Of Players At Recent Football Practice

Hoover High School, one of the more prominent football programs in the country, is permanently replacing its head coach Drew Gilmer following incidents at practice that were recorded, which showed him rushing a player and ripping his helmet off. 

The incidents caught the attention of the football community earlier this week when two videos were released that showed Gilmer and defensive coordinator Adam Helms engaging in inappropriate conduct on the field with two players. The decision was made earlier this week to put both coaches on administrative leave. 

Now, the Hoover football program will have its second head coach within eight months, as Hoover school board members accepted the resignations of both Gilmer and Helms on Thursday afternoon, just two weeks before the team's season opener. 

"The past few days have been extremely unsettling for many of our varsity football players, coaches and the overall Hoover community," Superintendent Dr. Kevin Maddox said in a statement. "The safety and well-being of our students and staff continue to be our top priorities. We maintain high expectations for our employees and students. At this time, our focus is dedicated to supporting our football players and coaching staff."

The incidents that were recorded via Hudl, which is a source college and high school programs use for game and practice film, received massive backlash from the Hoover community this past week. As you can tell by the videos, this turned into a very bizarre situation. 

In this first video, you can see defensive coordinator Adam Helms thrusting his waist into the face of one of his players while the player was on the ground. 

In the second video, former head coach Drew Gilmer is seen rushing towards another player and pushing him to the ground, while ripping off his helmet in the process. 

Now, the school is turning to offensive coordinator Chip English to lead the team on a permanent basis, after naming him interim coach following the suspensions earlier this week. 

If you were wondering why this high school might sound familiar, it's because Hoover was at the center of an MTV documentary-style show called ‘Two-A-Days’, which centered around the life of young high school athletes and former head coach Rush Propst. 

Now, Hoover High School is reeling from another incident that certainly doesn't help the overall direction, after hiring now former head coach Drew Gilmer last January. 

Support for Gilmer around the Hoover community was pretty much nonexistent, with one lawyer representing a player saying they would pursue legal avenues regarding the case. 

From that lawyer: "Acts committed by Drew Gilmer (HC) are pervasive, perverted… beyond possible bounds of human decency by someone defined as an educator in Alabama."

According to a report from Simone Eli, the family of the 17-year-old player seen in the video lying on the ground while one of the coaches was thrusting his hips in the face of the student met with the Hoover police department this week to discuss potential charges. 

After all of this, the players and remaining coaches have to prepare for the season-opener that will take place in two weeks at the Broward County National showcase in Florida.