Kyle Tatum Takes Over as Moody High School Head Football Coach

MOODY, AL — Kyle Tatum has been named the new head football coach at Moody High School, succeeding Jake Ganus, who led the Blue Devils to their first Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Class 5A state championship in December.

Tatum, a Prattville native, was a standout defensive lineman at Prattville High School, earning All-American honors and helping his team reach the 6A quarterfinals. He went on to play at the University of Alabama, where he transitioned from defensive tackle to offensive tackle in 2004, starting every game that season. He also earned Academic All-SEC honors in 2003.

Tatum began his coaching career in 2011 as a graduate assistant at Texas State under Dennis Franchione. He later served as tight ends coach and defensive line coach before joining UAB in 2016. At UAB, Tatum helped lead one of the program’s most successful defenses, which ranked in the top 20 nationally from 2018 to 2020. The Blazers won their first conference championship and bowl game in 2018. Most recently, Tatum was an assistant coach at Briarwood Christian School.

Moody Principal Chris Walters said Tatum was selected for his integrity, faith, and ability to uphold the program’s standards. “Kyle was the first name we considered, and it was clear he fit the Moody culture,” Walters said.

Tatum said he is excited to join the program and build on its recent success. “The power is in the people,” Tatum said. “We want to continue the momentum and put a product on the field the community can be proud of.”

Moody finished the 2025 season at 13-2 capturing the AHSAA Class 5A state title and earning back-to-back region titles for the first time in program history.  

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Tatum takes over for former Moody head coach Jake Ganus who stepped down to take the helm of the Pell City Panthers football program.  Ganus lead the Blue Devils to their most successful periods in program history posting a 44-10 record including a pair of region crowns, four consecutive playoff appearances, a pair of Super 7 berths and a 22-2 mark in region play over the past four seasons.  

Offseason workouts for the Blue Devils are already underway.

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