Hoover Football Coaches Drew Gilmer and Adam Helms Resign Amid Controversy

In an emergency session held on Thursday, the Hoover City Board of Education officially accepted the resignations of head football coach Drew Gilmer and defensive coordinator Adam Helms. The resignations come in the wake of social media videos that raised concerns about the conduct of two Hoover football coaches during a recent practice.

Following the release of the videos, Gilmer and Helms were placed on administrative leave on Tuesday. Hoover City Schools issued a statement confirming that their resignations are effective immediately.

"Our top priorities remain the safety and well-being of our students and staff," said Hoover City Schools Superintendent Kevin Maddox. "We hold our employees and students to the highest standards. Our focus now is on providing support to our football players and coaching staff during this time."

Chip English has been named interim head coach and will lead the team through the remainder of the season. Hoover's football season is set to kick off on August 24 with a national showcase event in Florida against Western High School of Davie, Fla.

"We are grateful for Coach English’s willingness to step into this role and provide stability for our players and coaching staff during this transitional period," the release continued.

Drew Gilmer, who joined Hoover in January, previously led Clay-Chalkville to two state championships in the last three years and posted an impressive 81-12 record over seven seasons. Gilmer, who is related to former Alabama quarterback and NFL star Harry Gilmer, took over the Hoover program from Wade Waldrop, who served as head coach for two years.

Hoover High School’s football program is one of the most renowned in Alabama and across the nation, with 11 state titles won under coaches Rush Propst and Josh Niblett.

The news of Gilmer and Helms’ administrative leave sparked an outpouring of support from Hoover players, including quarterback Mac Beason. "We love Coach Gilmer and Coach Helms," Beason wrote on social media platform 'X.' "Ask any player on the roster. They've done a lot for us and the Hoover program. If the players want him as our coach, we should be able to keep him! He might coach a little differently, but that’s why he wins."

However, the situation took a serious turn on Wednesday when attorneys Juandalynn Givan and Reginald McDaniel held a press conference representing one of the players featured in the controversial video. The attorneys claimed the student experienced "physical abuse and extreme humiliation" during the practice session.

Givan and McDaniel stated they are considering state and federal legal action against the Hoover school system and Gilmer. Additionally, they planned to meet with another student shown in a separate video later that same day.

In an interview back in June, Gilmer spoke about the importance of patience in restoring Hoover to its former glory in the Class 7A division. "I’m not a patient person," he admitted. Gilmer aimed to replicate the success he achieved at Clay-Chalkville, with Hoover's last state title dating back to 2017. "You take things for granted after a while," Gilmer said, reflecting on his 14 years at Clay. "It’s going to take time here. This is a big place. It’s going to take time to get everyone comfortable and to know the things we have to do every day to win championships."