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

(03-14-2023 03:35 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  Wondering if all this is to get a bump for him and his assistants. I just don't see that marriage. Someone with more time than me do a comparison on the new AAC salaries please.

This--when we were looking at new football coaches, I wanted us to have "reserves" to up AK and staff again. Dilfer seems to have afforded us this, but is it a zero sum game?

As for the UAB job being a "destination," there's only one person right now that would consider that the case perhaps, and I saw him freaking out on the sideline up 25 last night.

(03-15-2023 10:53 AM)FNblazer Wrote:  

(03-14-2023 03:35 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  Wondering if all this is to get a bump for him and his assistants. I just don't see that marriage. Someone with more time than me do a comparison on the new AAC salaries please.

This--when we were looking at new football coaches, I wanted us to have "reserves" to up AK and staff again. Dilfer seems to have afforded us this, but is it a zero sum game?

As for the UAB job being a "destination," there's only one person right now that would consider that the case perhaps, and I saw him freaking out on the sideline up 25 last night.

I was going to say it depends on how you define destination job, but if AK doesn’t view it in that way, I don’t think anyone will ever again. Which is fine, as long as we are able to have a solid, really successful program over time. But it would be nice to not be cycling through coaches every 4 years.

Just being honest here, it is a new world on coaches salaries and mid-majors with high level aspirations maybe need to rethink how they spend money on coaches’ salaries long term. There is zero chance they can compete in a bidding war for a coach, especially after the new TV deals hit in the P2+. A coach is either going to stay because they love it or because you take care of their staff and give them resources to compete. Paying them more just because isn’t going to make them a better coach. Giving them better players will make them a better coach.

The investment is going to start shifting to the players. The schools who adjust accordingly are going to beat the living hell out of those who think overpaying coaches is the way to go

(03-15-2023 11:16 AM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  

(03-15-2023 10:53 AM)FNblazer Wrote:  

(03-14-2023 03:35 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  Wondering if all this is to get a bump for him and his assistants. I just don't see that marriage. Someone with more time than me do a comparison on the new AAC salaries please.

This--when we were looking at new football coaches, I wanted us to have "reserves" to up AK and staff again. Dilfer seems to have afforded us this, but is it a zero sum game?

As for the UAB job being a "destination," there's only one person right now that would consider that the case perhaps, and I saw him freaking out on the sideline up 25 last night.

I was going to say it depends on how you define destination job, but if AK doesn’t view it in that way, I don’t think anyone will ever again. Which is fine, as long as we are able to have a solid, really successful program over time. But it would be nice to not be cycling through coaches every 4 years.

I feel like the key is to just make it as attractive a job as possible. VCU & Murray State are a couple of jobs off the top of my head that keep cycling coach after coach, but their foundation is so good that they're able to put in quality replacements that their new coaches are able pick up right where the old ones left off.

For me to be a destination job in a traditional sense, you need to have enough fans to at least sell out your arena for big games if not most games. If you dont have that then you are going to a job to try and build it into that.

In a modern world, I'd add that a destination job needs to have a NiL infrastructure in place to grease the wheels in player recruitment and retention, because you are basically a one legged man in the ass kicking contest of recruiting without it, and good coaches are competitive enough that being at that kind of disadvantage will make life frustrating as hell.

Are the renovations to Bartow happening? I ask cause the practice facility, renovations, and new conference should keep him here for awhile

(03-15-2023 12:40 PM)UABrandon Wrote:  Are the renovations to Bartow happening? I ask cause the practice facility, renovations, and new conference should keep him here for awhile

Supposedly the renovations are to begin after next season. Assuming approval and money raised, of course.

https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/status/...1168437249

Quote:UNT head coach Grant McCasland's has emerged as Texas Tech's top target after the Red Raiders have swung for a few big names and missed, source told
@stadium
UNT plays tonight in NIT against Oklahoma St.
McCasland is 130-65 in 6 seasons at North Texas and took the program to the NCAA tourney in 2021.

I hope he tells them to piss off. He’s too good of a coach to be somebody’s 2nd, 3rd or 4th option.

A negative. At the risk of opening the attendance bickering, I know AK cannot be happy with the attendance thus far. To me and others it has been a big disappointment.

I think a positive is that our staff is active in the portal. hard to convince kids to transfer here if you intend to jump ship at the next opening.

The attendance is definitely pathetic for the coach and scholarship talent we have...

the student section is the most pathetic.

I pulled this from a google search.

The full-time UAB undergraduate population is made up of
62% women, and 38% men

Girls just don't care about MBB or football for that matter.

To be fair we market games horribly. The best videos and marketing we saw were for the CUSA tournament that 99.9% of fans can’t attend

...well, XBCMA is probably looking for a 'new' gig just in case...

(03-21-2023 05:39 PM)THE_LEGEND Wrote:  The attendance is definitely pathetic for the coach and scholarship talent we have...

the student section is the most pathetic.

I pulled this from a google search.

The full-time UAB undergraduate population is made up of
62% women, and 38% men

Girls just don't care about MBB or football for that matter.

You have to give the students something to come for. They need more giveaways, free pizza, etc. And also they need a Gang Green leader.
Give them incentives to come to the first few homes games and then they will start coming for the games and atmosphere, but you have to bring them in first.

We're not Auburn or Samford, there are other forms of entertainment in the city for them. You gotta make going to games an event and worthwhile for them.
First Year Experience classes should give assignments to go to at least 1 football game, 1 basketball game, and 1 other sport game of their choosing. Gotta get student involvement within the college first then hopefully when can get back to the days where students camped out for Memphis tickets.

(03-21-2023 06:05 PM)Golden-Ticket Wrote:  To be fair we market games horribly. The best videos and marketing we saw were for the CUSA tournament that 99.9% of fans can’t attend

Jelly and EG should have had billboards saying come see the leading scorer Jelly and the jam slam EG. Trey could have his own billboard as Birmingham's Basketball Mayor.
But I agree UAB and BIRMINGHAM has terrible marketing for sporting events.
NCAA Tournament barely had any marketing. If UA and Auburn weren't playing I'm not sure they would have packed it out as well.
I thought the USFL had bigger and better marketing than the NCAA Tournament.

(03-21-2023 06:16 PM)blazerblazer Wrote:  

(03-21-2023 06:05 PM)Golden-Ticket Wrote:  To be fair we market games horribly. The best videos and marketing we saw were for the CUSA tournament that 99.9% of fans can’t attend

Jelly and EG should have had billboards saying come see the leading scorer Jelly and the jam slam EG. Trey could have his own billboard as Birmingham's Basketball Mayor.
But I agree UAB and BIRMINGHAM has terrible marketing for sporting events.
NCAA Tournament barely had any marketing. If UA and Auburn weren't playing I'm not sure they would have packed it out as well.
I thought the USFL had bigger and better marketing than the NCAA Tournament.

And I say all this not to dunk on the guys who are in marketing. The videos we let out were amazing. Best I’ve ever seen from us. It was just so spaced out that it wasn’t clear some days that we had a game. I know it’s probably impossible to have that high quality of a video each game (multiple a week) but maybe 1 a week

(03-21-2023 06:22 PM)Golden-Ticket Wrote:  

(03-21-2023 06:16 PM)blazerblazer Wrote:  

(03-21-2023 06:05 PM)Golden-Ticket Wrote:  To be fair we market games horribly. The best videos and marketing we saw were for the CUSA tournament that 99.9% of fans can’t attend

Jelly and EG should have had billboards saying come see the leading scorer Jelly and the jam slam EG. Trey could have his own billboard as Birmingham's Basketball Mayor.
But I agree UAB and BIRMINGHAM has terrible marketing for sporting events.
NCAA Tournament barely had any marketing. If UA and Auburn weren't playing I'm not sure they would have packed it out as well.
I thought the USFL had bigger and better marketing than the NCAA Tournament.

And I say all this not to dunk on the guys who are in marketing. The videos we let out were amazing. Best I’ve ever seen from us. It was just so spaced out that it wasn’t clear some days that we had a game. I know it’s probably impossible to have that high quality of a video each game (multiple a week) but maybe 1 a week

Agreed the videos since AK have been great. Last year's video deservingly won an EMMY!
But we need to add on to that. I think we have great UAB MBB and UAB FB social media but there needs to be a way to get a larger reach and sustain. But like we've all said, it helps if you have other businesses buying in as well. We need local bars and venues to be playing UAB basketball and football games now that we will be on ESPN channels throughout the seasons. All these other breweries and venues market that they are playing Bama or Auburn games on their big screens but never UAB. They need to buy in (as UAB students and alums are a big part of their patrons) and start adding UAB games to their viewing schedule and social posts.
We're finally getting more local news interviews with our players and AK and players (as well as Dilfer) are on local sports radio.
I'm also curious to see what marketing plans Dilfer has in mind as well - but so far the Spring Game on Thursday is a bad idea, but that could have been out of his control.

McCasland and UNT just got another impressive win on the road against OK St. They are going to Vegas. Hopefully our matchup of destiny comes to fruition.

(03-21-2023 08:42 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  McCasland and UNT just got another impressive win on the road against OK St. They are going to Vegas. Hopefully our matchup of destiny comes to fruition.

Wow! That Oklahoma State team went 8-10 in the mighty Big 12, while West Virginia only went 7-11.

Huge win! I do have to point out the half time score was UNT 24 - OK State 17. How frustrating!

By the way, Tylor Perry had 23 points and was 6-6 from the foul line. He is 88% from the foul line this season.

Perry was clutch down the stretch. The NT defense was solid.