The Selma Times-Journal

Brian Montgomery has tendered a letter wishing to abort his teaching post at Selma High.

But the Selma High School football coach wants to stay in the school system.

According to a news release by the Selma City School Board, Montgomery presented a letter of resignation as a tenured science teacher.

The resignation would also terminate Montgomery&8217;s supplemental contract as head football coach at Selma High, according to school board president Barbara Stapp-Hiouas.

Montgomery, however, has denied he formally resigned.

Montgomery said he wants to serve as principal and retain his job as football coach.

The only current job openings in the system are at elementary schools.

New Selma High principal Wanda McCall was the former principal at Clark Elementary, leaving another possible vacancy.

Montgomery said he is close to completing his doctorate in educational leadership from Capella University, an accredited private, for-profit online university based in Minneapolis, Minn.

He completed a master&8217;s in biology from Alabama State University last year.

A former offensive lineman with the Seattle Seahawks, Montgomery had served as head football coach and athletic director at Selma for the past two seasons, going 10-10 in that time.

Last month, the school board renewed Montgomery&8217;s contract as a teacher and his coaching supplement, but hired Patrick Evans as its new athletics director.

Around that time, the former athletic director at North Atlanta High School confirmed that Montgomery had been offered its head coach position.

Since Montgomery&8217;s position was renewed at Selma, he was still a member of the staff until he formally announced his resignation.

Evans said he and Montgomery have not personally talked about the matter.

Both Evans and interim superintendent Dr. Verdell Lett-Dawson said there were no candidates to replace Montgomery.

The teaching job will be posted for 14 days, after which the school will fill the spot.

Lett-Dawson will present Montgomery&8217;s letter to the school board at its next meeting. The board&8217;s next scheduled meeting is July 10.

Job openings for a science teacher and head football coach have been posted, according to the release.

“The plan is to fill the position as we do any other vacancy,” said Dawson.

Deborah Goodwin contributed to this story.