Search the Community

Technically, UAB has been on the clock to find its next head football coach longer than any other program in this cycle. It’s been more than five months since Bill Clark’s abrupt resignation/retirement from the Blazers’ position shocked both school officials and the college football world. After a 6-6 season under interim coach Bryant Vincent, which is landing the Blazers in the Bahamas Bowl Dec. 16, current UAB players are asking that the school promote Vincent to the job in a full-time capacity. An unspecified number of players sent an undated letter to UAB President Dr. Ray L. Watts, in which players asserted that they had been denied an opportunity to meet with Watts via his secretary and also said that, “We, as a team, want our voices to be heard. We have fought and brought championships and bowl wins to this University. Championships and bowl wins that have never been done in the history of this program. We have accomplished things that nobody thought would ever happen here.” The players in their letter said that “On June 27, (UAB Athletics Director) Mark Ingram, told us that he will conduct a national search for our coach. That was all he said. He didn’t talk to any of us players or ask us any questions. … read more: https://footballscoop.com/news/uab-players-accuse-president-of-not-granting-meeting-want-our-voices-to-be-heard

Former Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente is an Oklahoma native with deep ties in Texas and 10 years of head coaching experience. He built Memphis from one of the worst situations in the country into a conference champion in his third season. He won 19 games in his first two seasons at Virginia Tech, but things unraveled down the stretch, though he finished with a 43-31 record there. Fuente’s name has also been around the UAB job and some other potential openings. read more: https://theathletic.com/3941164/2022/11/27/texas-state-football-coach-candidates-spavital/

Sources with knowledge of the UAB search, view Vincent as a candidate; but not at the top of the list – despite formally interviewing this week for the top spot on a permanent basis. Where does the UAB search seem pointed? Bryant Vincent has guided the Blazers to a chance at bowl eligibility, despite the sudden flux in the preseason, heading into Saturday’s regular-season finale at Louisiana Tech. Well, to the professional ranks. Seriously. In fact, multiple sources tell FootballScoop that USFL head coach Skip Holtz, leader of the Birmingham Stallions, has emerged as a central target in the Blazers’ search for their next head coach. However, other candidates and factors are still being considered. link to more: https://footballscoop.com/news/an-sec-assistant-sitting-head-coaches-and-a-pro-coach-in-mix-with-uab-blazers-coaching-search

On what is different about UNT this year… "Offensively they are high tempo and they run a lot of tempo plays. Their biggest improvement already is their defense. They've had some times that they were good on defense and probably weren't quite as good as maybe they wanted to be the last few years. I see them coming back. You know they made a change at their defensive coordinator spot, I know him. They're going to be better there and they're always tough." On preparing for UNT high tempo offense… "I think one of the things we do and we have been doing for years is we put two huddles going at us just as fast as we can go. I think that is the only way you can simulate them is just practice. You got those two huddles coming at you. Your guys are just waiting for it. It is tough, and I don't care how much you do it. They move fast, and they are going to spread you horizontally. If you look at their splits with their receivers, they are at the bottom of the numbers. So, that really opens up running lanes and you have a quarterback who can make those throws. They have a transfer from North Carolina with a big arm. He can run so it is going to be a big challenge. Last year statistically, they were one of the top teams in the country in the numbers categories." read more: https://uabsports.com/news/2021/9/13/uab-football-week-3-transcript-at-north-texas.aspx

This is great news for the conference and of course for UAB. Clark provides a great accomplishment here for other CUSA coaches and programs to shoot for. http://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-foot...b38g8exgc3

Join @Evan, @Harry and @TheReal_jayD as they recap a big 30-7 home win against Southern Miss and the upcoming HUGE road game against UAB. GMG.com Barbershop Podcast #199 AUDIO LINK

As fall camp approaches, with players reporting on Thursday, August 2, MeanGreenSports.com takes a look back at some of the biggest moments from the 2017 season. MeanGreenSports.com relives each of these key moments from the nine-win season last year. We conclude our series with the win over UAB, which ended up being a major turning point in the Mean Green’s season. Entering Conference USA play, North Texas was coming off two consecutive road losses and the Mean Green were desperate for a win. Losses at SMU and Iowa put North Texas in a 1-2 hole to start the year, and on paper, figured to have a strong probability of beating the Blazers, who brought their program back after a two-year hiatus. In the early-going, that certainly appeared to be the case, as North Texas jumped out to a 30-14 halftime lead. UAB, however, never went away. North Texas eventually held off the UAB rally and Trevor Moore kicked a game-winning field goal with seven seconds left to seal the victory. This game was the first in which the Mean Green offense flexed its muscle over the course of a full 60 minutes against an FBS opponent, putting 46 points on the board. Yes, the Mean Green had dominated its season-opener with FCS foe Lamar to the tune of 59-14, and had a strong second half at SMU, but this was the true arrival of the potent attack. Balance was the key, as they rolled up 548 yards of total offense (287 on the ground and 261 through the air). Trailing 7-3 early, Jalen Guyton turned in one of the biggest highlights of the season, hauling in a very difficult catch along the home sideline over UAB corner Darious Williams (now with the Baltimore Ravens). The catch was a highlight on its, own, but the work Guyton put in to find the end zone made it that much more special. It was the ultimate competitive play for the newcomer to Denton. read more: http://www.meangreensports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/080118aaa.html

The ever-widening gulf between the haves and have-nots of modern day college athletics hit UAB like a punch in the gut last month. The athletic department was forced to cut or eliminate 12 positions before the start of its new fiscal year in July. The estimated savings are about $400,000. Caught in the middle of the sudden layoffs was Zac Schrieber. Schrieber was a sports information director at Samford University for 14 years. Last month, he was offered a position by UAB to be the Blazers' new SID for men's basketball. For a father with two young children, it was a major step for his family and his career. Then came the call from UAB's human resources. Just before the end of business on Friday, June 15, and two days before the start of his new job at UAB, the university's human resources department informed him the position was no longer available. Schrieber said the call came at 4:29 p.m. Samford's human resources department closed at 4:30 p.m. "If I would have been told just four hours earlier, I could have most likely stopped everything on the Samford end of things and kept my job there," Schrieber said in a text message. Schrieber is now unemployed for the first time in 23 years. https://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2018...om#article

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2017/08/uab_football_hits_10000_mark_f.html#incart_river_index

With addition of UAB and Coastal Carolina to FBS level football I think realignment between the Sun Belt and Conference USA is in order. I have constructed my ideal version of these conferences with team that will be in them in the 2017 season. I prefer a 12 conference or less whenever possible. However geographically in made more sense to make the border between the conferences the Alabama-Mississippi state line. So my version of the Sun Belt has 14 teams. I did not divide the Sun Belt into divisions cause I don't know much about these eastern programs. I am assuming that my lack of knowledge about these programs isn't unique for your average UNT fan/student. And that is a big part of the reason I think UNT would be better off in a conference without them. None except the marquee programs like Marshall and UAB have any name recognition around here. And if the attendance for the Marshall game isn't an eye opener I don't know what else would make you consider my point. The New Conference USA ULM EAST ULL EAST La Tech EAST RICE EAST ARK STATE EAST Southern Miss EAST UNT WEST TEXAS STATE WEST UTSA WEST NEW MEXICO STATE WEST UTEP WEST IDAHO WEST The New Sun Belt UAB MTSU TROY FIU FAU OLD DOMINION WKU MARSHALL SOUTH ALABAMA CHAROLETTE GEORGIA STATE GEORIA SOUTHERN APP STATE COASTAL CAROLINA

http://s.al.com/ccR4rNb Birmingham businessman Jimmy Filler just gave a $1 million donation to the UAB football program. That number should put UAB Athletics at just over $40 million raised in a years time. Probably more to come. UAB is really coming on strong. They appear to be position themselves as the lead dog in CUSA.

I knew that they would probably have quite a few transfers and jucos etc but I just saw their updated commitment listing and sure enough.. http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/10/2016_uab_football_commitments.html There are like 30 and they are all juco or transfers! What's the deal? Is it because they are restarting football in 2017 that they are taking this approach? Actually, it seemed like they had a primarily juco transfer roster the year before last. It seems like their coach likes going that route. Does anyone know the particulars or parameters of how the NCAA is allowing them to restart their program? I am assuming there is a strategy to this sort of like what UTSA did when they started theirs up.

State Rep. Jack Williams told AL.com Thursday morning he's received "strong indications" that UAB President Ray Watts has decided not to reinstate the school's football program and plans to announce that news Friday night. "This could lead to irreparable damage at UAB in its relationship with the community," Williams said. UAB released a statement later Thursday morning saying that no decision has been made yet on the possible return of football, rifle and bowling. Williams said he believes Watts "is holding fast" to his original decision to eliminate the sports, which was announced Dec. 2 of last year, despite the positive nature of the College Sports Solutions report on bringing back those sports. Read more: http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/05/strong_indications_uab_will_no.html

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/12886474/major-college-football-attendance-hits-worst-average-2003 "UAB, which cut its football program but is considering reinstating it in the coming weeks, had the second-biggest rise, jumping from 10,548 fans per game to 21,841."

https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/it...-football/ Author actually contests some of the CSS assumptions, saying even they were too pessimistic.

TROY, Ala. – The Sun Belt Conference ended its annual spring meetings of presidents, athletic directors and basketball coaches on Tuesday in nearby Montgomery, Ala., having reached no definitive conclusion regarding whether or not it will invite a new member to join the league. According to a statement from conference, “discussion did include the potential for additional membership and expansion, but Sun Belt officials will not have further comment on the subject.” It’s believed the Sun Belt, which is looking to add one more program, is waiting to learn the fate of Alabama-Birmingham before making any firm decision regarding membership. UAB will soon decide whether to reinstate its football program, which it recently shut down. If the Blazers do not reinstate football and are booted from Conference USA as a result, it’s believed they would consider the Missouri Valley Conference and the Sun Belt as possible landing spots for their other sports program. Read more: http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/ul/2015/05/19/sun-belt-may-waiting-uab/27625221/

Rick Stockstill was very disappointed to see UAB disband its football program, but that won't stop him from capitalizing on the situation. The Middle Tennessee State head coach sees less competition to recruit players out of Alabama now that UAB is without a Division I football program. With UAB out of the picture -- at least for now -- it creates an opportunity to recruit "15 to 20 kids who might have been interested in UAB but now they have to look somewhere else," said Stockstill. In a talent-rich state like Alabama, the loss of an FBS-level school could benefit numerous out-of-state schools. The downside for MTSU is it loses what Stockstill considered a burgeoning rivalry with UAB. When recruiting the state, MTSU doesn't end up in many battles with Alabama and Auburn for players. Going forward schools like Troy and South Alabama will be the Blue Raiders' biggest competition in Alabama. Stockstill expects the school's Conference USA affiliation to help beat those two Sun Belt schools on the recruiting trail. Read more: http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/05/how_one_cusa_school_looks_to_c.html

Conference USA's upcoming spring meetings should be more interesting than most. Thanks to UAB. Besides needing to select a host city, venue and format for the annual C-USA men's and women's basketball tournaments, the league's athletic directors have to discuss the ongoing situation with UAB's membership when the meetings commence Monday in Destin, Fla. It appeared the Blazers' swan song in C-USA would be the 2015-16 school year since embattled UAB President Ray Watts terminated the school's football program last December. Under league bylaws, UAB cannot remain in the league without a football program. So, it looked fairly cut and dried. Until last Thursday, that is. Read more: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/x1641589675/C-USA-meetings-could-get-interesting

Conference USA needs to err on the side of caution in the UAB situation. I know, I know. There are some impetuous athletic directors in C-USA who would kick the Blazers to the curb lock, stock and basketball program during spring meetings later this month. To be kind, I think they are misguided. To be honest, they are misanthropes. A rush to judgment not only would be a mistake, it would be a crime considering UAB and Southern Miss are the longest-standing members of this plundered league. The Blazers simply deserve better. And it appears that's what UAB will get. Although C-USA reportedly has told UAB it won't amend the bylaws to keep the Blazers without football, the league also isn't treating UAB like it has leprosy. Read more: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/x1641588487/C-USA-in-position-to-help-UAB-and-should

Alabama-Birminghams future in Conference USA will be decided on June 8 when the leagues executive committee meets in Dallas, conference officials decided during a conference call earlier this week. Yet the decision may be a foregone conclusion. Several conference officials, who asked not to be identified, said there appears to be a consensus that unless UAB does the unthinkable and announces it will revive football, the Blazers will be forced to leave C-USA. UAB officials announced on Dec. 2 that they were shutting down their football program. That violates Conference USA bylaws that requires schools either to field a Football Bowl Subdivision program or be in the process of starting football. Yes, UAB is coming off a wonderful basketball season, in which the Blazers won the C-USA tournament in Birmingham, defeating Middle Tennessee State before a frenzied crowd of more than 8,000. UAB then upset No. 3 seed Iowa State in the NCAA tournament. It was indeed a feel-good couple of weeks for a UAB fan base that has been put through the ringer. Read more: http://hamptonroads.com/2015/04/conference-usas-executive-committee-will-make-decision-uab-june-meeting-dallas

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/dennis-dodd/25120793/despite-uab-debacle-football-a-must-have-for-status-hungry-schools

Conference USA will be patient in deciding whether to keep the University of Alabama at Birmingham as a member, C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky said Thursday. UAB president Ray Watts gave a presentation to C-USA presidents this week during the conference's winter meetings in Boca Raton, Fla. UAB dropped football last month and C-USA bylaws require schools to play football to be a member. Since then, UAB has created a committee to reexamine its justification for dropping football, bowling and rifle. A new outside consultant is going to be hired to review financial numbers and assumptions from a previous consultant's report. “It's an extraordinary situation. It's not like any kind of membership transition,” Banowsky said. “We don't really have a timetable. I think our folks have a level of patience and are going to be pretty measured in the way we review it. We're going to stay in communication and monitor the situation as UAB tries to understand what it's going to do.” read more: http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/jon-solomon/25007043/c-usa-league-will-be-patient-on-whether-to-keep-uab

Why it could happen quickly They have already done all of their due diligence on these teams through the past couple of expansions/replacements. They know what is going on facility wise at say ULL or Arky State etc.. they don't need additional binders and site visits unless its a new team to the mix like say Liberty etc.. Why would you wait to add a team you know you need to add if adding them would help the team in recruiting? The sooner you can make the announcement the better it will help whatever team it is to finish up their recruiting class... You have a good window of media time attention between when the bowls are announced and they are actually played. It's a pretty dead time news wise. C-USA took a hit with the loss of UAB and the quicker you make a decision the sooner you put the UAB thing behind you Why it could take longer: The C-USA office will be busy with the bowl games and they have new ones etc.. plus it's the holidays... I think there could be some battles over ULL and Texas State from La. Tech and UTSA... I just don't think that giving a recruiting edge to a school in your backyard will be easy to sell to programs already in C-USA that you are trying to lift up. Certain C-USA programs have been around longer than others and thus have more leverage, ie Marshall and Southern Miss. The networks could be delaying clarity on which schools would impact the new contract. They may already know who they want but Benson (or another conference commissioner) is asking for more time so he can evaluate his replacement...

UAB's decision last week to discontinue its football program continues to receive backlash from not only its players but the student body who continues to protest the decision. The school is the first to cut football since Pacific in 1995 with the school citing the rising costs in college athletics. As the Blazers' coaching staff and football players pick up the pieces and look for a new school to call home, the decision hits close to home in the Monroe area. UAB's athletic budget ranked 83rd among FBS schools, and first-year head coach Bill Clark was drawing a $500,000 paycheck annually with a staff expense of $1,011,000. If UAB can make the decision to cut football, does it make schools like ULM that much more likely to fall in line? The ULM athletic budget remains the lowest among FBS schools with its most recent revenue recorded at $11,231,311 UAB reported a total revenue of $28,159,249. Head coach Todd Berry earns an annual salary of $358,250 and a staff pay total of $724,300, while playing three money games a year. Read more: http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/ulm/2014/12/10/uab-discontinues-footballis-ulm-next/20222149/