The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

I was listening to sports radio and heard that Missouri had gone through a period of 17 years and only had 2 winning seasons (1984-2000). I know that UAB football hasn't been around as long as Mizzou, but I just wonder during that stretch how many times people in the media was calling for Missouri to drop football since they couldn't win. I haven't been able to find it yet, but I can't imagine attendance being all that great during that time period.

Also, Missouri went through three different coaches during that period of time.

Just something to think about.

Right on. The problem is truly support. I heard mizzou AD the other day and they made a commitment that they were gonna be good. I'm not attacking Mackin. I'm not. We all know that if he had support from above him, he'd be doing more. But seriously, things will never be better until those in charge truly make a commitment. That includes the bot, university, and boosters.

(12-07-2013 09:28 AM)Uncle BLAZER Wrote:  Right on. The problem is truly support. I heard mizzou AD the other day and they made a commitment that they were gonna be good. I'm not attacking Mackin. I'm not. We all know that if he had support from above him, he'd be doing more. But seriously, things will never be better until those in charge truly make a commitment. That includes the bot, university, and boosters.

I've been told never go somewhere there are no cranes. Construction is the surest sign of a program's health, growth, and future. Now, this was said in reference to medical residency programs, but I think it applies here. No way I'd tell a football player with any future to play for UAB: the program is just not healthy enough. It's not the problem of not winning-- new players can fix that. It's the problem of no institutional support.

Had we committed to building a stadium the same time we hired mcgee, he could have recruited better. Hell, basketball got a new floor, renovated locker room, renovated seating in the last few years. Without marginal improvements all the time your program just doesn't have the health required to recruit competitively.

It's not to say we would have been better with a stadium. But we wouldn't have been worse. There are a lot of new transplants to the bham area, and we could have turned them into blazer football fans, just like the baron's stadium turned a lot of people who never cared about minor league baseball into birmingham baron's fans.

(12-07-2013 12:46 PM)LairDweller Wrote:  

That's two more cranes than are being used on UAB football facilities.

Exactly. I wonder if McGee really understood the challenges he would face when he came to UAB. If I was an up and coming head coach prospect, like McGee was at the time, there's no way I would accept the UAB job. Its a career killer.

So, which is it? McGee goes 2-10 because he's an awful coach, or he goes 2-10 because of facilities leaving him unable to recruit?

Id lean more towards the latter, Lair. I dont if McGee can coach or can't. I believe it would be nearly impossible for any coach to come into the current situation at UAB and have success.

Impossible?
Certainly possible.

(12-07-2013 03:07 PM)BlazintheATL Wrote:  Exactly. I wonder if McGee really understood the challenges he would face when he came to UAB. If I was an up and coming head coach prospect, like McGee was at the time, there's no way I would accept the UAB job. Its a career killer.

Regardless of the challenge, it is no career killer. McGee has made more in two years than I have made in forty years of employment. Career killer? You have to be joking. His biggest reason for choosing to head coach at UAB was/is a fifty thousand dollar a month paycheck. DUH! He gets paid, regardless of how many losses. Personally, I do "not" believe he is the least bit concerned if UAB builds an on campus stadium, or not.

(12-07-2013 03:20 PM)BlazintheATL Wrote:  Id lean more towards the latter, Lair. I dont if McGee can coach or can't. I believe it would be nearly impossible for any coach to come into the current situation at UAB and have success.

Fine. Then why are so many complaining about him? And Mackin for hiring him?
He could not have won 4 games with our current players...so we should just thank him for trying

Impossible may be an overstatement. Highly unlikely. Gorilla you're right, he did get a raise but Im sure the guy wants to win and have success.
At the time he was hired he was a hot, up and coming OC who would have likely had other HC job offers had he not accepted the head job at UAB.

There are a lot of coaches that would want to be a head coach on the FBS level. You may not understand this, but this job was coveted by many good qualified coaches. They would not want to be in an impossible job.
Heck, Rice just won the CUSA championship and had a tough game with UAB. In CUSA the teams are very close. I can see UAB winning CUSA with current coach and players he can assemble.

(12-07-2013 03:11 PM)LairDweller Wrote:  So, which is it? McGee goes 2-10 because he's an awful coach, or he goes 2-10 because of facilities leaving him unable to recruit?

If the athletic administration isn't performing on the level of other CUSA athletic administrations, then I don't think we can expect McGee to perform on the level of other CUSA coaches.

I'm not so sure the full blame for a 2-10 season lies solely on Garrick McGee. He just gets the brunt of it all because he came in here trying to be optimistic and change some attitudes.

(12-07-2013 11:49 AM)sadolakced Wrote:  

(12-07-2013 09:28 AM)Uncle BLAZER Wrote:  Right on. The problem is truly support. I heard mizzou AD the other day and they made a commitment that they were gonna be good. I'm not attacking Mackin. I'm not. We all know that if he had support from above him, he'd be doing more. But seriously, things will never be better until those in charge truly make a commitment. That includes the bot, university, and boosters.

I've been told never go somewhere there are no cranes. Construction is the surest sign of a program's health, growth, and future. Now, this was said in reference to medical residency programs, but I think it applies here. No way I'd tell a football player with any future to play for UAB: the program is just not healthy enough. It's not the problem of not winning-- new players can fix that. It's the problem of no institutional support.

Had we committed to building a stadium the same time we hired mcgee, he could have recruited better. Hell, basketball got a new floor, renovated locker room, renovated seating in the last few years. Without marginal improvements all the time your program just doesn't have the health required to recruit competitively.

It's not to say we would have been better with a stadium. But we wouldn't have been worse. There are a lot of new transplants to the bham area, and we could have turned them into blazer football fans, just like the baron's stadium turned a lot of people who never cared about minor league baseball into birmingham baron's fans.

Damn, Damn, Damn!! Excellent post!!! I remember all the naysayers claiming how much of a flop the baseball park was going to be. How wrong they were, eh?

(12-07-2013 05:29 PM)Matrix Wrote:  

(12-07-2013 11:49 AM)sadolakced Wrote:  

(12-07-2013 09:28 AM)Uncle BLAZER Wrote:  Right on. The problem is truly support. I heard mizzou AD the other day and they made a commitment that they were gonna be good. I'm not attacking Mackin. I'm not. We all know that if he had support from above him, he'd be doing more. But seriously, things will never be better until those in charge truly make a commitment. That includes the bot, university, and boosters.

I've been told never go somewhere there are no cranes. Construction is the surest sign of a program's health, growth, and future. Now, this was said in reference to medical residency programs, but I think it applies here. No way I'd tell a football player with any future to play for UAB: the program is just not healthy enough. It's not the problem of not winning-- new players can fix that. It's the problem of no institutional support.

Had we committed to building a stadium the same time we hired mcgee, he could have recruited better. Hell, basketball got a new floor, renovated locker room, renovated seating in the last few years. Without marginal improvements all the time your program just doesn't have the health required to recruit competitively.

It's not to say we would have been better with a stadium. But we wouldn't have been worse. There are a lot of new transplants to the bham area, and we could have turned them into blazer football fans, just like the baron's stadium turned a lot of people who never cared about minor league baseball into birmingham baron's fans.

Damn, Damn, Damn!! Excellent post!!! I remember all the naysayers claiming how much of a flop the baseball park was going to be. How wrong they were, eh? Unfortunately, when it comes to football, the city doesn't call its' own shots. the bot controls Birmingham's identity in this sport, because they want all the attention and revenue to flow from here to "tuscalucifer", Birmingham's "leaders" have about as much effect on its' outcome in the culture of football as "Ex-Lax" on a migrane. They are willing participants in their own city's depreciation & co-dependency, it's alright for them to carve a niche in track and field or baseball, but if they try to do anything for UAB football, "fess" & "despicable he" will be waiting...They are from being a major player city, only , butt-kissing bench-warmers for UA & the SEC (at the bargain price of $1 a year)...Getting your money's worth, Mayor Bell? #FreeUAB

(12-07-2013 04:54 PM)notnow Wrote:  There are a lot of coaches that would want to be a head coach on the FBS level. You may not understand this, but this job was coveted by many good qualified coaches. They would not want to be in an impossible job.
Heck, Rice just won the CUSA championship and had a tough game with UAB. In CUSA the teams are very close. I can see UAB winning CUSA with current coach and players he can assemble.

You're right. I dont understand this.

There are only 120+ of these jobs that pay a football coach $50,000+ per month.
I'd like a job that paid that much and if I did well would set me up for a job that paid $150,000 or maybe $400,000 per month. If I were an asst coach or head coach at a lower level I would try to land this job. It would be a quick way to get to the highest level. The Auburn coach was coaching high school not to long ago. He took Ark St. Job and within about a year he has just reupped for stupid money.

Thanks for that Bandgrad. We need all the encouragement we can get for our football program. The Mizzouri situation proves anything is possible.

Exactly. To turn this thing around a lot if things with this program need fixing. From some much need facilities down to our own attitudes and everything in between.