CSNbbs

No changes planned for UAB football coaching staff
By Steve Irvine -- The Birmingham News
December 03, 2009, 5:55AM

Recruiting is Neil Callaway's first priority right now. (The Birmingham News/Bernard Troncale)UAB head football coach Neil Calla­way isn’t planning to make changes to his coaching staff after finishing a game short of reaching bowl eligibility in his third season on the Southside.

“Not on my end,” Callaway said when asked this week about potential staff changes. “As far as I’m con­cerned, we’re intact. If someone comes up with another opportunity, you can’t ever control that. I know they’re all good coaches, they’re all good guys and they all work well to­gether.

I think there is something to be said for that.”

Callaway has kept his on-the-field staff intact since his first season at UAB. He said that “three or four” of his coaches had an opportunity to take other jobs the past two years but no one has left UAB.

Callaway hopes that trend continues for another season despite some crit­icism from the UAB fan base directed at defensive coordinator Eric Schu­mann and the coaches on that side of the ball. The Blazers have finished no better than 106th in total defense the past three seasons. This season, they rank last among the 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in pass defense and 114th in total defense.

“Obviously, we’re not happy (with the numbers),” said Callaway, whose three-year record at UAB is 11-25. “I know it’s not good and we don’t like that. The defensive staff doesn’t like it more than anybody. At the same time, I know the problems and it’s not the coaching staff. The problem is getting the right people in here to play the game.”
Callaway and his coaches held an all-day meeting on Monday to wrap up the 2009 season and look ahead. Perhaps the most important subject was firming up the strategy for the final two months of the recruiting season.

He left little doubt that finding immediate help in the secondary is the first re­cruiting priority.

“We’re going to try to get this thing firmed up,” Calla­way said. “We’ll sign several junior college guys at safety and corner. I don’t know that there’s a magic num­ber but our top priority right now is getting people in the secondary who we think can match up and play in our league.”

Injuries hurt UAB in the secondary this year with junior college safety A.J. Wilson missing the season with a knee injury and starting free safety Chase Daniel sidelined the final six games because of a con­cussion.

Junior college safety Elliott McGaskin had his progress slowed be­cause of injuries and Hiram Atwater played with an in­jured knee the final few games.

Quality depth was the problem at cornerback, es­pecially when Brandon Car­lisle moved to safety.

Callaway said the plan is to sign at least two junior college cornerbacks. He’ll also look to fill some other needs with junior college players.

“I’d say right now we’ll probably sign eight to 10 junior college guys,” Calla­way said. “I’m hoping eight of them will be mid-term guys. I think we’ll slowly wean ourselves off that (de­pendence on junior college players). I think we’ll always have four or five be­cause I think that’s where we’ll get our blue-chip re­cruits.”

Callaway said he is disap­pointed the Blazers didn’t become bowl eligible but likes where his program sits if it can produce a strong recruiting class to go with returning players.

The Blazers will be expe­rienced on the defensive front next season, and the offense returns nearly ev­erybody. But Joe Webb’s graduation leaves a big hole at quarterback.

“I think we’ll be a better football team everywhere else but I think a lot is going to depend on the quar­terback,” Callaway said.

Sophomore-to-be David Isabelle was Webb’s backup this season but he’ll be pushed by Bryan Ellis and Jimmy Perry and perhaps another quarterback brought in after recruiting is over for next season.

The winner of the quar­terback derby will deter­mine how much next year’s offense mirrors what UAB did with Webb.

“I think (offensive coor­dinator Kim Helton) and the offensive staff have done a great job of adapting to what Joe can do,” Calla­way said. “Who shakes out to be the quarterback will determine whether we lean this way more than the other way.”

It may not matter much if the Blazers don’t improve on defense.

When you suck all the time it doesn't sound like a depth problem.

I can understand giving up points late in the game due to depth, but we played better late in the game.

Oh well, it is his job on the line.

Let him make his own bed.

Callaway hasn't earned the right to throw a coordinator to the wolves to buy time anyway.

No big whoop. We either go to a bowl next year or he and everyone on his staff is looking for a job.

As simple as that.

I never got the whole coordinator-micromanagement-from-the-fans thing anyway. He's only getting one more shot... As far as I'm concerned he can take that shot in a tu-tu, take it standing on his head, take it with his alternate firing eye, take it in a boat, take it with a goat, take it with Sam or take it with Green Eggs & Ham.

Because if he misses again then the game is over anyway and it'll be time for someone else to have a turn.

Here's hoping Helton can squeeze 30+ points a game out of whatever our offense will be.

Callaway knows that his job is safe with the BOT behind him, so he can do whatever he wishes. If you guys want Schumann gone, you have to get rid of Callaway.

leadership requires swift problem recognition/resolution skills, among other attributes.
some of us are chiefs/head coaches, the rest are indians/career assistant coaches

And all of us are armchair quarterbacks.

and a few of us are leaders

If I am the AD, I am looking hard at cutting the chord. Part of being a leader is recognizing you mistakes and correcting the mistakes. Schumann is not working out. If he is your friend, and you think he is a good coach, let him go. Schumann is killing his own career, he needs a new setting as bad as we need him to leave. The best he finished was 106. It is 3 years later and we have only improved our D by 3 pts per game and 14 yards per game.

(12-03-2009 08:54 AM)Smaug Wrote: [ -> ]And all of us are armchair quarterbacks.

Uh, I humbly present, Chief armchair quarterbacks.

And, oh BTW, I coach in the NFLL (the Niceville Football Little League). And, I've had winning seasons and we went to the playoffs 2 years in a row, and I was chosen to coach the All-Star team. Doesn't that get me something?

And yes, this is meant as self-deprecating humor. I only coach for fun.

Please leave your comments at al.com on the artcile.

(12-03-2009 08:51 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote: [ -> ]Callaway knows that his job is safe with the BOT behind him, so he can do whatever he wishes. If you guys want Schumann gone, you have to get rid of Callaway.

If UAB is not going to extend his contract, Callaway may have decided to just stick with his buds til the end. No reason to try to please anyone if he thinks UAB is just riding out the last few years of his deal. If a buyout is out of the question, I'm not sure if Mackin has any leverage. I would hate to be supervising someone that knows they can't be fired.

What a cluster.

Nepotism is favouritism granted to relatives or friends, without regard to their merit.[1] The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos (meaning "nephew" or "grandchild").

(12-03-2009 08:46 AM)Smaug Wrote: [ -> ]Here's hoping Helton can squeeze 30+ points a game out of whatever our offense will be.

It truly won't matter, Smaug. We gave up 32+ ppg this year...and it won't change. We could put Texas' or Alabama's defensive players in here and they would still suck, because the defensive schemes suck balls.

CNC has shown a lack of initiative to make our defense competitive, and that has sealed his fate.

I am truly infuriated.

infuriated, disappointed, angered, irate, rabid, enraged, indignant, outraged, riled...
and that was before today's Irvine article

(12-03-2009 08:13 AM)BlazingGoat Wrote: [ -> ]No big whoop. We either go to a bowl next year or he and everyone on his staff is looking for a job.

As simple as that.

+1

Quote:I know the problems and it’s not the coaching staff. The problem is getting the right people in here to play the game.

Wow, way to blame the players, coach. I'm sure they appreciate it.

Quote:Callaway said the plan is to sign at least two junior college cornerbacks.

Other than Cornelius Richards, all of our CBs are juniors to be (Coleman, Springs, Hicks, Amarikawa) already, in addition to our best safety (Daniel). If we sign jucos, we are going to have to completely rebuild our secondary in two years. As bad as we are now, I don't even want to imagine how it would be then.

Emphasis on recruiting he says...
An unknown defensive coach without a poor record and rankings will have more success landing players. It is the INEVITABLE. This says we aren't serious about football folks or he knows something that every other university that is firing piss poor coaches based on results doesn't. Loyalty by assistants means nothing if the program isn't winning--we could care less! 3 years is enough time to show progress and a coaches ability to recruit and develop and/or adjust a good game plan.

Please let there be some truth in recent rumors!

The secondary is not very good but the dl need a lot of improvement

(12-03-2009 08:13 AM)BlazingGoat Wrote: [ -> ]Callaway hasn't earned the right to throw a coordinator to the wolves to buy time anyway.

No big whoop. We either go to a bowl next year or he and everyone on his staff is looking for a job.

As simple as that.

I never got the whole coordinator-micromanagement-from-the-fans thing anyway. He's only getting one more shot... As far as I'm concerned he can take that shot in a tu-tu, take it standing on his head, take it with his alternate firing eye, take it in a boat, take it with a goat, take it with Sam or take it with Green Eggs & Ham.

Because if he misses again then the game is over anyway and it'll be time for someone else to have a turn.

+1