Mary G. Montgomery Drops Further Appeals as Ex-Coach Golson’s Transfer Upheld

Mary G. Montgomery High School has decided not to pursue further appeals of the restrictive probation levied against its football program in May, even as its former head coach continues to push the school and Mobile County to fight the sanctions.

“We are putting it to rest, and we are going to make sure we abide by all of our sanctions and move forward,” Principal David Diaz said Wednesday afternoon. In May, Alabama High School Athletic Association executive director Heath Harmon announced that the Mary G. Montgomery football program had committed AHSAA violations. The penalties included a season-long coaching suspension for then-head coach Zach Golson and a ban from postseason play in 2026.

The AHSAA’s investigation centered on a signing ceremony for middle school students at Mary G. Montgomery in which some of those who attended were not zoned to attend the high school.

Golson, appearing Wednesday at a hearing on his mandatory transfer as a teacher out of MGM, urged the school and Mobile County Public Schools to exhaust every available appeal — both on his behalf and for his former players. “I would love to see MGM and MCPSS appeal to the Central Board, ask for people to recuse themselves if they have conflicts of interest,” Golson said.

“Open the whole thing and look at it. Ask yourself, ‘Does the punishment fit the crime or the facts?’ I hope they do that.

I hope the Central Board shows the courage and leadership to fully look at the situation, to look at every kid that has been deemed ineligible and look at the playoff ban and look at my one-year suspension.” Mary G. Montgomery presented an action plan to the AHSAA Central Board on July 29 outlining its response to the penalties, but the board took no action at that time.

The school then appealed to the District 1 Board on Aug. 5, which upheld the executive director’s decision.

A final appeal to the Central Board remained available — a path Pell City officials have said they will pursue in a similar case — but MGM has opted not to take it. “The AHSAA Central Board didn’t hear the issue to begin with,” Diaz said of the school’s trip to Montgomery last month.

“During our presentation of our action plan, it was my understanding we could ask them to hear the facts and vote to have an appeal at that point. All it would have taken was one Central Board member to say, ‘I make a motion’ and then we go from there, but they didn’t.

It went back to the District 1 Board, and the answer was no.” Golson was placed on administrative leave prior to the AHSAA sanctions and has been informed by Mobile County Public Schools that he will be transferred to another school to teach — currently Orchard Elementary, according to Golson. He requested a public hearing before the Mobile County Board of Commissioners to appeal that transfer, and after more than two hours of testimony Wednesday morning, the board voted 3-2 to uphold it.

Edgar Walsh, attorney for the school system and superintendent Chresal Threadgill, argued the transfer was in the best interest of students, the school and the system. Golson’s attorney, Thomas M.

Loper, argued the move was politically motivated. “The only reason we are here today is because Mr. Golson was working with the City of Semmes in efforts to start its own school system,” Loper said. “There is no legitimate reason for this transfer other than that.” Diaz and MCPSS human resources manager Bryan Hack testified in support of the transfer, while Semmes Mayor Brandon Van Hook, council member Helen Joyce and an MGM parent testified on Golson’s behalf.

“I love the school. Those coaches are some of my best friends,” Golson said.

“If the ruling is upheld and I still can’t coach there, then I still think I could be an asset to the kids there. … I’ve cut a lot of grass in the last four years. I don’t know if that is considered a coaching duty or not, but I’m more than capable of continuing to cut grass.” In four seasons as head coach, Golson led Mary G. Montgomery to a 37-10 overall record and four consecutive playoff berths.

Defensive coordinator Alex Page has been elevated to head coach for this season. “I know Alex Page is our head coach,” Diaz said.

“He’s been doing a great job getting our kids prepared. He did a great job stepping in when this transpired.

I expect great things.” Golson pushed back on suggestions that the program built its success through recruiting. “Eight hundred kids in our program the last five years and right at five percent of them have been transfer kids,” he said.

“It’s hard to understand for some people, but 95 percent of our kids have been MGM kids the whole time we’ve been there.” Mary G. Montgomery opens its season hosting Saraland on Aug.ug. 21. The Vikings’ 10 games this season will not count in the 6A, Region 1 standings, and the team will not be eligible for the postseason.

Players identified by the AHSAA as ineligible will not be permitted to play.

Update: Golson files lawsuit against AHSAA, Harmon and school officials

The situation has now moved to the courts. Former Mary G. Montgomery head coach Zach Golson has filed a lawsuit against the Alabama High School Athletic Association, Executive Director Heath Harmon, AHSAA investigator Chuck Anderson, Mobile County Public School System Superintendent Chresal Threadgill and MGM Principal David Diaz, seeking damages and due process in the wake of the investigation that ended his coaching run and placed the school on restrictive probation.

The suit was filed in Montgomery County Circuit Court on Friday by Golson’s AEA-appointed attorney, Tom Loper of Mobile. AHSAA Communications Director Scott Griffin declined to comment on the filing, and Golson also declined comment.

Golson was escorted off campus and removed from his job in May, two weeks before Harmon ruled that Golson and MGM had committed recruiting violations. According to Golson, Baker High School turned in Mary G. Montgomery after two Causey Middle School eighth-graders zoned for Baker chose to enroll at MGM and attended its annual freshman welcoming ceremony. Golson has maintained that any contact was unintentional and that the students came on their own.

“Where is the evidence that my coaches or I initiated contact with these students to persuade them to choose MGM?” Golson said in a statement approved by Loper. “Where are the messages? Where are the phone calls? Where are the promises of playing time? Where are the payments, jobs, housing arrangements, transportation, gifts, benefits or other inducements? Where is the evidence that we orchestrated a recruiting effort or attempted to gain an unfair competitive advantage? If that evidence exists, show it.”

The AHSAA punished MGM with a year of restrictive probation, a one-year playoff ban and a one-year suspension for Golson, and ruled that 20 players dating back to 2023 were permanently ineligible for athletics at the school, according to Golson. The AHSAA District One board and the Central Board both heard MGM’s appeals and upheld the sanctions — a Central Board rejection that landed one week after the AHSAA overturned identical sanctions against Pell City. State Sen.-elect Rusty Glover, who taught at MGM for 25 years, said the inconsistency could draw pushback from the Alabama Legislature.

“It’s extremely disappointing that some schools were treated one way and other schools were treated another way,” Glover said. “There has been a movement in the Legislature over the last two years to bring transparency to the high school athletic association. I cannot see myself not being on board.”

Golson, whose mandatory transfer as a teacher was upheld by the Mobile County School Board, said he was denied due process throughout the investigation and called for an independent review. “If I am wrong, let the evidence prove me wrong. If the evidence does not support punishment on this scale, then have the courage to correct it,” he said in the statement. Diaz — who as recently as two weeks earlier had said the school would not appeal its punishment — changed course after community backlash and Pell City’s successful appeal to the Central Board.