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

Yeah I know.

However, I am listening to the Bill Simmons podcast and he has Cousins as his guest. It has been surmised on this board and taken as fact here, but this is first time I have heard it admitted. On the podcast, Cousins admits that he committed to Mike Davis, not UAB. He wanted an out from his LOI that is Davis ever left, he would not be held to it. UAB refused to put the stipulation in and he decommitted and switched to Memphis. He says he decided to go to Memphis after attending the UAB Memphis game in Bartow Arena and became enthralled with Shawne Williams.

This is not old news, but it was the first time I had heard it straight from Cousins. So, even had UAB agreed, he would have been gone to UAB anyway when Davis started shopping around. And interesting that Memphis stole him right out from under us at BArtow arena.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/...lk_ab.html

And then the squid stole him from Memphis.

I'm not sorry he was never a Blazer.

But had he committed we could have gotten rid of Davis sooner.

(07-16-2014 03:13 PM)LightEmUp70 Wrote:  But had he committed we could have gotten rid of Davis sooner.

And it would have looked like our coach moved up and we were still a good stepping stone job...instead of us having to fire him a year removed from a Conference Title.

I think if he had not made it a public thing it might have gotten done, although it may have been a verbal assurance, nothing written. Happens alot. I doubt UAB would have held him to his LOI in any event...

I don't think he made it a public thing until after it didn't get done

(07-16-2014 03:38 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  I think if he had not made it a public thing it might have gotten done, although it may have been a verbal assurance, nothing written. Happens alot. I doubt UAB would have held him to his LOI in any event...

The stipulation wasn't for Cousins. It was for Davis. With that stipulation, and especially with it public, he could shop himself and Boogie around to different schools.

As far as the perception that UAB was a stepping stone, that perception was in place at the time. remember Mike Anderson.

Cousins was being used by Davis, not the other way around. Cousins was only going to be in school for one year anyway. Davis had already let some know he would be gone. Remember Richard Williams, UAB'S DBO and Former Miss State coach saying in an interview that he would likely be UAB's next coach.

Interestingly, in the podcast, Bill Simmons said he didn't know about the UAB angle, but earlier in the interview, he had speculated that it might have been in cousins best interest if he had gone to a school "like Alabama State". He said if he went to a smaller school rather than Kentucky, he would have still had the hype regarding his ability, but not the hit on his reputation. I don't know that I agree with that.

I guess you've heard of my reputation
I've had my share of foolin' around
But everybody needs stimulation
And mine just happens to be all over town

It's an easy-money occupation
A first class psychiatry
But just once, I'd wanna make love
Without taking off my clothes
Just once, I wanna make love with somebody
Who really and truly knows

Why do you do that?

It's almost BBFish

The question is would Davis have been able to get himself hired if he had Cousins and Bledsoe in his pocket.

I'm not sure that's a no-brainer.

I agree Band Dad. Davis's results at UAB to that point had been luke warm at best. He had certainly underachieved to that point. How many high level programs would have taken a multi-year gamble on a coach who had underachieved at two schools, even if he did supposedly have a top 5 recruit in his pocket?

He was already getting looks because teams THOUGHT he had Cousins. I have no doubt he would have been hired. Unrestricted, Davis was a good recruiter and success breeds success, especially when you are willing to let your coach be unrestricted

Davis would have also been limited by only being able to go to schools that would accept Cousins & Bledsoe without any academic background scrutiny.

(07-16-2014 04:24 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  As far as the perception that UAB was a stepping stone, that perception was in place at the time. remember Mike Anderson.

That's what I was saying. That stepping stone perception pretty much ended when we fired Davis and he went to Texas Southern.

Whatever the school, it can only be a stepping stone school if you perform well.

I guess that stepping down sorta counts, but that's not the usual usage of that phrase.

(07-16-2014 05:57 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Why do you do that?

It's almost BBFish

Hey, hey, hey, why do you treat me like you do,
Hey, hey, hey, why do you treat me like you do?

My biggest question about that time - Davis has commitments from several JC and 4 stars to "play" with Cousins. they de-committed before Cousins officially did. Why ? did they know before the public did or was they another reason. Anyone know?

(07-16-2014 04:24 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(07-16-2014 03:38 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  I think if he had not made it a public thing it might have gotten done, although it may have been a verbal assurance, nothing written. Happens alot. I doubt UAB would have held him to his LOI in any event...

Cousins was being used by Davis, not the other way around. Cousins was only going to be AT school for one year anyway. Davis had already let some know he would be gone. Remember Richard Williams, UAB'S DBO and Former Miss State coach saying in an interview that he would likely be UAB's next coach.

FIFY