Mary G. Montgomery coach Zach Golson was removed from his job in May and the Mobile County School Board on Wednesday upheld a transfer order. MGM Principal David Diaz also said the school will not make a final appeal to the AHSAA Central Board to overturn penalties assessed for what the AHSAA ruled were recruiting violations. (Call News file photo)
By ARTHUR L. MACK
MOBILE — The Mobile County School Board on Wednesday narrowly upheld a recommendation that former Mary G. Montgomery head football coach Zac Golson be transferred to another school.
Mobile County Public School System Superintendent Chresal Threadgill made the recommendation and the board approved it 3-2. School Board President Sherry McDade and Commissioners Donald Stringfellow and Dr. Reginald Crenshaw voted in favor while Commissioners Lonnie Parsons and Johnny Hatcher voted against it.
Golson was under a mandatory transfer order and has been on administrative leave since May, when he was relieved of his duties as the Vikings’ coach due to an Alabama High School Athletic Association investigation into alleged recruiting violations. The AHSAA later ruled violations occurred and suspended Golson for a year, plus gave MGM a one-year restrictive probation and a one-year playoff ban.
“It’s been a disappointing three months,” Golson said. “We put a lot into MGM the last four-and-a-half years and to see everything that we’ve done be attacked the way it’s been attacked, it’s hard to completely understand. It’s taken me three months to connect the dots and there’s a narrative out there that we recruited our way to being successful.”
MGM Principal David Diaz said the school would not appeal any of the sanctions, although it has a right to under AHSAA bylaws. The AHSAA’s local District I board last week rejected an appeal. Diaz also said he supported Golson’s transfer because he felt it might be a distraction if he had remained at MGM.
“From an administrative standpoint, we had to make some really tough calls here lately,” Diaz said. “I’m glad we’re putting this behind us and moving forward. Everyone forgets that our kids have been working all summer along, blood, sweat and tears. For the sanctions to stay in place is very disappointing but we are members of the AHSAA and we are required to follow the bylaws whether we agree with them or not.
“Member schools make the bylaws and we are required to follow them. It’s unfortunate in this case we lost our head coach but we’re going to put all this behind us and keep moving forward and put all of the attention on all the hard work our kids have been displaying all summer long.”
Diaz said nobody voted to appeal when he appeared before the AHSAA Central Board on July 29 to present a requested action plan to make sure no future violations occurred.
“It was my understanding that we could ask them to hear the facts and vote to have an appeal at that point,” Diaz said. “All it would’ve taken was for one Central Board member to say, ‘I make a motion’ and then we go from there. But they didn’t. They refused to hear our part of the argument and it was flipped back to the District I board and the answer was no. We’re going to put it to rest and we’re going to make sure we abide by all of our sanctions and move forward.”
Golson wanted MGM to appeal to the AHSAA Central Board and has not decided if he will accept the transfer.
“Right now, I’m leaving all options on the table legally to protect myself and my family,” he said. “I’m going to have to confer with my attorneys on what exactly what the next step is.”
Pell City, which received a nearly identical punishment, is appealing to the Central Board after it, too, had its appeal rejected by its local district board.
Parsons presented an amendment for Golson to be transferred to another MCPSS secondary school to teach and while MCPSS officials said there are no vacancies currently available, they would work as quickly as possible to see if one opens up.
Throughout the nearly three-hour hearing, witnesses for and against Golson’s transfer or retention included Semmes Mayor Brandon Van Hook, Semmes City Councilmember Helen Joyce and Shelley Stephens, a parent of two former MGM football players. Diaz and MCPSS Deputy Superintendent Bryan Hack presented the case why Golson should be transferred.
Golson’s backers pointed to his popularity in the community.
“He showed up to chamber meetings, community meetings, you name it, he was there,” Van Hook said. “I know for a fact the kids love coach Golson.”
Added Stephens: “I believe he could still be a role model for the school and students if he was allowed to stay. He made a tremendous impact on the players.”
But Diaz pointed to the fact that former Golson assistant Alex Page has been installed as the Vikings’ new coach.
“He’s been doing a great job getting our kids prepared,” Diaz said. “He did a great job of stepping in whenever this whole thing transpired and I expect great things. He’s bought into our program as well. All our coaching staff has stayed intact and I’m happy about that.”
Golson said he still supported the community and added that staying at MGM would not be a distraction.
“I love that school,” he said. “Those coaches are some of my best friends. I think that I can still be an asset to the kids there. My relationship with Alex is not going to change regardless of how any of this shakes out. He’s one of my best friends. Those coaches are friends of mine and I cut a lot of grass in the last four years. I don’t know if that’s a coaching duty or not but I’m more than able to continue to cut grass.”
