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Jacob Kelley steps down as Cherokee County (Ala.) head football coach

IMG_8358by: Andy Villamarzo11/12/25Andy_Villamarzo
Syndication: Gadsden Times
Cherokee County football takes on Piedmont in the Highway-9 rivalry to open the AHSAA football season in Piedmont, Alabama on Friday, August 22, 2025. (Maxwell Donaldson, The Gadsden Times)

One of Alabama high school football’s more successful head coaches has decided its time to step away, according to a report.

According to BamaPreps, Jacob Kelley has handed in his resignation as Cherokee County (Ala.) head football coach on Wednesday morning. Kelley finishes his time with the Warriors with a 65-23 record after seven seasons at the helm, leading Cherokee County to three state championship appearances.

It was just last year that Kelley led the Warriors to a 13-2 record, with Cherokee County falling to eventual Class 4A state champion Jackson in the title game, 69-6.

From 2022 to 2024, Kelley guided the program to state championship visits, but was unable to come away with a win at the end of the season each time. In 2022, Cherokee County ended up losing in the 4A title game to Andalusia, 28-7, and then in 2023 lost against Montgomery Catholic, 35-0.

This past season was the Warriors’ lowest win total since 2021 when the team finished with a 7-4 record. In 2025, Cherokee County finished with a 7-4 mark and fell to Good Hope, 28-26, in the opening round of the 4A playoffs.

Kelley took over Cherokee County back in 2018, leading the Warriors to a 4-6 mark in his first season.

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