Josh Niblett leaving Gainesville football for collegiate coaching job

“Coach Niblett’s impact on our program, our school, and our community over the last four years cannot be overstated,” Gainesville athletic director Adam Lindsey said in a statement. “He brought a championship culture and a tireless work ethic every single day. While we are sad to see him go, we are incredibly grateful for the foundation he has built and wish him and his family nothing but the best as they begin this next chapter.”

Niblett has been a high school head coach since 2000. He won seven Alabama state championships, six of which came during his tenure at Hoover from 2008 to 2021.

Niblett’s decision follows an impressive four-year stretch at Gainesville. The Red Elephants went to two state championships, won two region titles and finished with a combined record of 45-9.

In 2025, Gainesville beat reigning Class 5A champion Milton, then-No. 1-ranked Hughes and then-No. 7-ranked Rome. The Red Elephants were undefeated before a 62-21 state championship loss to Thomas County Central.

Niblett led Gainesville to its first region championship in nine years in his first season. The Red Elephants — thanks to Niblett’s leadership and an increased investment in facilities — won 12 games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2013.

Niblett also led Gainesville through a drama-filled postseason stretch, beginning with an on-field brawl at Brunswick that canceled the rest of the second round game.

The GHSA suspended around 40 Gainesville players for the quarterfinal game against Hughes, which the school appealed. When the GHSA largely denied Gainesville’s appeal, the school took legal action. A superior court judge gave the school a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction, allowing suspended players to play against Hughes.

The GHSA then postponed the quarterfinal game another six days.

“Three weeks ago, we didn’t know really what was going on,” Niblett said after the Red Elephants beat Rome to advance to the Class 5A final. “We got back to some normalcy last week, and our kids locked in with a short week, six days.”

Gainesville is searching for its third new head coach in the last 10 years. It’s a stark contrast from the majority of the century, when Gainesville great Bruce Miller led the program from 2002 to 2017.

The Gainesville job figures to be highly attractive, as the program has built a new football stadium and indoor facility in the last five years. The city school was invested well enough to pull Niblett away from Hoover, where he won six Alabama state championships, four years ago.

Lindsey recounted the hiring process to the AJC in October. Niblett was interested in the job after visiting Gainesville, and Lindsey told him to take a couple days to make his decision.

“I said, ‘You put together a list of what you would need to come to Gainesville,’ and I said, ‘Take 48 hours,’ and I said, ‘Give me call on Friday and send me your list,’” Lindsey recounted. “I said, ‘At least give me the opportunity to say we can do this or we can’t,’ and he actually called me the next morning and said, ‘Hey, I’ve got the list, it’s in your email box.’

“I pulled it up, and I said, ‘Coach, put a ‘For Sale’ sign in your yard. You’re coming to Gainesville.’ He was like, ‘What?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, we can do all this. This is not a big deal. We’re committed.’”