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

Trying to keep the Blazer chatter going during the dog days of summer, so I thought of another concept to engage with everyone on the board. Each thread will focus on UAB's performance in a specific sport. I'll include some stats and references of where the sport has been historically, and will provide my views of where I think this specific program should be going forward. I'm pretty new to UAB and would love to get other, longer term, fan's perspectives of each program. I think some points to hit on would be:
1) Faith in the current coach
2) Win & Loss expectations
3) How frequently you expect to compete for conference championships
4) Where you expect for attendance to be

These are the sports that will be covered, in order. Please let me know if I should switch any around.
1) Football
2) Men's Soccer
3) Softball
4) Baseball
5) Women's Basketball
6) Men's Basketball

YEAR...RPI...WIN...LOSS
2018...131...26...32
2017...146...21...33
2016...64....27...32
2015...48....32...19
2014...40....32...27
2013...29....40...19
2012...44....37...22
2011...38....39...19
2010...43....37...22
2009...127...21...34

Those historical numbers are much more impressive than I originally thought. The new coach seems like a slam dunk given his previous experience. UAB's average record over the previous 10 seasons is 31.2 - 32.5, which seems surprising compared to their RPI.

I like to use other schools in the state as a measuring stick so here are the RPI numbers from 2018 to 2014, remember that there are just shy of 300 D1 teams.
Auburn...20...7...3...3...18
Alabama...15...14...6...6...2
South...68...56...46...28...20
Troy...98...116...72...61...96
Jax State...71...34...51...84...98
Samford...192...208...52...91...109

UAB seems to have been the #2 or 3 team (Auburn was awful prior to the Myers experiment) in the state over the past decade, which is impressive.

Wasn't too much competition the last several years.

Of course, Alabama #1 with Samford or South Alabama being up there.

Marla's program took a dive after the Streetman years.

The effects of a new softball field apparently wore off.

She could not even recruit the top prospects coming out of her own neighborhood (& there have been quite a few)

Was a change needed? Depends.

If you thought the program could do better, then yes.

The trouble with this though is that Ingram apparently had it in the works to clean up some Bartow holdovers in the process instead of just upgrading the program.

This makes the whole situation stink even though it is possible that a change was needed.

I suspect Marla & Ingram had crossed words over the axing of the interim coach.

I’ve been saying a change needed to be made, I just didn’t like how they went about it. Firing coach and being straight forward would’ve been respectable and understandable. Creating a position in the athletic department specifically for her and referring to it is as a Promotion to save face because you don’t have the nuts to face the mob after a coaching change. Led coach on, took her advisement to put Ellis as interim and not elaborate that you wanted to hire your own guy all along. Then you fire her when you could’ve just been, again, straight forward from the start.

Anyhow, I like the hire of the new ball coach. Goal should be to win CUSA and strive to be the best G5 team in the state. not about competing, it’s about winning. Losing to Troy, Samford, USA, Jax State, and the HBCUs is unacceptable.

One element in replacing any coach can be the availability of a suitable / desirable replacement coach. This might have explained the timing of this firing / hiring in UAB softball. "Behind the scene" negotiations with agents can take place at any time without publicity so that public moves are just the last steps in the process.

I don't have any problem with the coaching hire. I have big problems with how Marla was done dirty.