Hoover High School football coaches Drew Gilmer, head coach, and Adam Helms, defensive coordinator, have officially resigned after being placed on administrative leave this week following an apparent assault on several players during practice.
Caught on video, and now posted on social media, one clip shows the coaches running onto the field of play during practice, grabbing a player’s face mask and ripping off his helmet. A second video shows the coach hip-thrusting into a player’s head and then ripping off his helmet.
The coaches resigned at a Board of Education meeting, on Thursday evening.
After the incident, attorneys representing one of the students said that the player was the victim of, “physical abuse and extreme humiliation.”
The school district has not confirmed that the coach’s administrative leave is related to the videos. However, superintendent Kevin Maddox did say in a statement, “The safety and well-being of our students and staff are our top priorities. We are taking this matter seriously and working diligently to resolve it promptly and fairly.”
These incidents come under greater scrutiny when considering Hoover High School’s reputation for great football. The school is one of the most successful high school programs in the state of Alabama and in the country as a whole. They won 11 state titles with their former coach.
Gilmer himself comes with an impressive history in high school football. His record was 81-12 in seven seasons at his last position. He was just hired at Hoover in January 2024.
The football season for Hoover High School kicks off in just a few weeks, and interim head coach Chip English will lead the athletes for the rest of the season. He previously worked as Hoover’s quarterback coach.
“Coach English brings a wealth of experience and dedication to the team, and we are confident in his ability to lead the Bucs as they prepare for the upcoming season,” Bryan Phillips, chief information officer for Hoover City Schools, wrote in a release Wednesday afternoon.
