An Alabama high school football coach resigned Tuesday, just days after getting into a violent fight with an opposing team's assistant coach Friday after a game.
Seconds after the Cullman High School Bearcats defeated the Walker High School Vikings 13-10 Friday, Walker head coach John Holladay and Cullman defensive coordinator Matt Hopper brawled on the field.
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The altercation apparently started when Holladay refused to shake Hopper's hand. The two them got into a heated exchange, with
Holladay ultimately punching Hopper in the head, AL.com reported.
Hopper was later pictured bloodied and bruised with a ripped shirt after the fight.
The incident has some pushing for criminal charges to be brought against Holladay, while others say both teams should face postseason bans. Jasper Police Chief Connie Rowe is reportedly gathering evidence in the form of photos and videos of the brawl.
Holladay was first placed on administrative leave, but resigned Tuesday following a meeting with the Alabama High School Athletics Association.
"We truly understand the passions that are involved in competitive athletics, but we can never allow those passions to cross the line and become unsportsmanlike in nature," the AHSAA said in a statement.
Walker's interim head coach Heath Brunner said the fight was totally out of character for Holladay.
"It’s not him. I can tell you this, John Holladay is a good man, a good father, and a good coach,"
Brunner told the Daily Mountain Eagle. "He's been a good mentor to these kids and a great mentor to me. I think the world of him and nothing he could do is ever going to change the way I feel about him."
Hopper will reportedly not be penalized.
"There is no need to reprimand our coaches and players, that they acted with class and dignity during the situation,"
Cullman Board of Education President Suzanne Harbin told The Cullman Times over the weekend.
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