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(08-15-2021 03:17 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  

(08-10-2021 04:03 PM)UAB Schnauzer Wrote:  The story I heard about McCorvey was told to me by a friend of his. No idea how accurate it was. He was offered the UAB job and was going to accept. He was then told by the powers that be that he was their first choice to replace Gene Stallings when he decides to retire. He was then told if he took the UAB coach he would never get the Alabama job. He turned down UAB and two years later Mike DeBose was chosen to replace Stallings.

It was known publicly that Woody McCorvey was the first choice for the UAB FBHC job. I later suspected the System administration had something to do with his choice to refuse the job. The sucession after Stallings illustrated the power of those "Red Elephant" power brokers. First they did a "hatchet job" on assistant coach "Brother" Oliver to run him off. He was rumored to have been promised the job after Gene left to get him to leave Clemson. Mike Dubose was a DL coach, promoted for one season to DC and then made HC when Stallings suddenly retired two years before the end of his contract. AD Bob Bockrath wanted to do a proper national search, but the power players filled his fax machine with demands that he hire Dubose which he did and then resigned.(sounds a lot like the power play that resulted in the hire of Rob Eshan - with similar unfortunate results)

That makes two FB careers that the power group apparently ruined for their own power plays.

Nothing close to Eshan. Eshan was a fan favorite that did not pan out but HE NEVER EMBARRASSED UAB. UAB didn’t have to pay sexual harassment claims.

Went to the visitation yesterday at Samford's Reid Chapel. A long line of former teammates and fans. I and hugged and met the widow and most of the Bowden siblings. He had a closed casket and the family only service was in Trussville.