It took less than six months for Jake Ganus to get suspended as the high school football coach at Pell City in Alabama. The Panthers will not be eligible for the postseason in 2026 while serving a full year of probation and must pay a fine.
This punishment stems from a violation of the state’s rules on recruiting.
As far as I can tell, the high school football program did not self-report this issue. Ganus got caught red-handed before he even started his first fall as the head coach.
Jake Ganus just left Moody for Pell City.
Pell City High School is located one of the county seats of St. Clair County in the northeastern quarter of Alabama. Founded in 1912, it enrolls approximately 1,200 students in Grades 9-12.
The Panthers play on the Class 6A level of AHSAA competition. They have not been very good in recent seasons so the administration decided to shake things up in December.
Pell City made a big splash hire.
Jake Ganus spent four seasons at Moody High School. He made the playoffs in each of his four seasons, made back-to-back state championship appearances in each of the last two seasons, finished with an overall record of 44-10 and won the 2025 5A state championship. Now he is tasked with another rebuild.
Ganus actually found himself at the center of controversy at the end of last season. Members of his team were photographed smoking cigars in the locker room after winning the state title. The school was placed on probation and fined. Its head coach was suspended for the first regular-season game of 2026.
That did not stop Pell City from introducing him in as its new high football coach on Dec. 16.
Alabama is cracking down on recruiting in high school football.
Not only did Jake Ganus get in trouble at Moody, he is already in trouble at Pell City. He will not be allowed to coach his entire first season with the Panthers.
The Alabama High School Athletics Association announced the ruling on Wednesday.
Pell City will have to pay a fine and serve one year of restrictive probation for a violation of Rule VI, Administration, Section 12, Recruiting. It can be found on pages 69 and 70 of the 2025-2026 AHSAA Handbook.
Any students who are found in violation of this rule will be deemed permanently ineligible to participate in athletics at Pell City. They are allowed to gain eligibility in the school district where their family resides.
The Panthers will not be eligible for the postseason in 2026 as part of the sanctions. They are allowed to play their entire 10-game regular season schedule but their wins and losses will not count toward the standings or the records of their opponents. They are banned from the playoffs for one season.
The punishment does not stop there. Ganus will be suspended from coaching in the AHSAA for the 2026-27 school year. He won’t be allowed to coach his team during his first season at head coach. It took less than six months for him to get caught cheating.