iStockphoto
Kevin Creehan steps down as St. John Paul II football coach.
Alabama high school football coach Kevin Creehan will not lead the St. John Paul II Falcons this fall. He announced his resignation one day before the first game of the season.
Creehan sent out a cryptic message on social media after informing administration of his decision. It seems he was forced to leave earlier than anticipated.
I have resigned the position of Head Football Coach at JPII High School. Best of luck to the team this season.
— Kevin Creehan (@KevinCreehan) August 19, 2026
Alabama high school football coach steps down.
Creehan was hired by the Falcons ahead of the 2024 season. He went 1-9 in his first year, followed by a 4-6 campaign last fall.
While the team missed the postseason, it showed progress with a three-win boost.
St. John Paul II is located in Huntsville in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama. The city is the most populous in the state with more than 230,000 residents.
Huntsville sits near the Tennessee border. It’s less than two hours from Nashville and Chattanooga, and about a three-hour drive from Atlanta.
Google Maps
A map showing Huntsville, Alabama.
St. John Paul II is the only Catholic parochial high school in the area. It was founded in 1996, with the campus receiving a major revamp in 2010.
Another expansion appears to be in the works. Athletics is set to benefit.
The Falcons compete in Region 2 of Alabama’s Private 2-A Classification. The football team has largely struggled. Over the last 14 years, they’ve posted just two winning seasons with an overall record of 37-101.
Creehan had them moving in an upward trajectory. He will not get the opportunity to continue in 2026.
Kevin Creehan got cryptic.
Recent events made clear to me that I am not the right person to be the Head Football Coach at JPII. This is not a reflection on the players or staff at JPII, but simply the realization that it is no longer the right fit for me. When I tendered my resignation today, I offered to…
— Kevin Creehan (@KevinCreehan) August 20, 2026
Throughout the summer, it appears Creehan fully intended to coach the team for his third season. Something changed over the last few days. It led to his resignation.
Creehan broke the news on Wednesday but offered to finish out the season. He will not coach another game at St. John Paul II. Administration denied his proposal. They will force him to leave immediately.
“I offered to stay through the season and resign effective December,” his social media message read. “However, the administration did not want to proceed with someone who did not have the long-term future of the program in mind.”
While Creehan did provide a small glimpse behind the curtain, he did not go into detail on his reasons for leaving. The coach cryptically wrote that “recent events” made it clear that he was “not the right person” for the job.
What is he specifically referencing? Your guess is as good as mine.
What we do know is that he is no longer a high school football coach in the state of Alabama. The Falcons have called upon two assistants to serve in a co-interim role moving forward.
St. John Paul II will face Whitesburg Christian Academy on Thursday night. Creehan will not be on the sidelines.