Alex Page named interim coach at Mary G. Montgomery

 

 

By JIMMY WIGFIELD

Deep South Media Editor

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Mary G. Montgomery defensive coordinator Alex Page has been named the Vikings’ interim head football coach, sources told the Call News Tuesday.

Head coach Zach Golson was put on administrative leave by MGM Principal David Diaz Monday in response to charges that several eighth graders who participated in the Vikings’ annual freshman signing ceremony were not living in Mary G. Montgomery’s school zone, sources told the Call News. The Alabama High School Athletic Association is investigating the allegations.

Neither Golson — who is 37-10 and has won two region championships in four seasons with the Vikings — nor Diaz could be reached for comment. Mobile County Public School System Director of Communications Rena Phillips confirmed Monday that Golson had been put on administrative leave but did not return a message Tuesday evening asking if Golson had been formally terminated.

Former MGM All-State offensive tackle and current University of Akron center Jon Stephens, who is visiting home, said he went to the MGM campus to work out Tuesday and found Golson’s office cleaned out.

“I was not expecting to see that,” Stephens said. “It’s kind of surreal just to see what was so great and what he did there in such a short time. I was just so thankful to be a part of it.”

Stephens said he spoke with Golson over the weekend and his former coach said nothing about the controversy.

“He wished me happy birthday,” Stephens said. “Coach Golson is a great coach, definitely one of the best coaches I’ve been around. He was awesome to play for. I looked forward to waking up each and every day and going to practice and play. And as good as he was as a coach, he was a great man.”

Golson took over one of the state’s worst high school football programs in 2022 and turned it into one of the best. Within a year, MGM finished 12-1 and reached the Class 7A semifinals. In the last three years, the Vikings are 31-5 under Golson, who has twice been named the Class 7A Coach of the Year statewide by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.