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‘Out of my comfort zone’: Casey Dunn seeks new challenge with UAB baseball

https://www.al.com/uab/2021/06/out-of-my...eball.html

Quote:Along with facility upgrades, recruiting a talent-rich state is a priority that Dunn must address immediately.

“It has to be,” he said. “Being able to maximize your scholarship numbers, you got to recruit within the state but you got to get the guys that can win championships within the state. You got the two SEC teams with the adage, ‘it means more,’ and it does to people. We live in an SEC culture but at the same time, whether it’s a Samford where I came from, a South Alabama, Troy, Jacksonville State, there’s a lot of good baseball options and we got to make sure that UAB gets to the top of that list.”

(06-24-2021 03:20 PM)DuelingDragon Wrote:  It is really hard to understand why UAB hasn't been better in baseball. UAB has had many good coaches over the years, including some very good assistant coaches. Yeah, states like Alabama will always be a bit disadvantaged vs. surrounding states because of lottery money, but it's hard for me to understand why Samford, Jacksonvllle State, South Alabama, Troy and Alabama State can be consistently good and often better than UAB. Samford has just owned the Blazers of late, for example. I guess it has to be facilities.

Uh oh, you just opened the door for the lottery lesson.

(06-25-2021 09:26 AM)BlazerFromMD Wrote:  

(06-24-2021 03:20 PM)DuelingDragon Wrote:  It is really hard to understand why UAB hasn't been better in baseball. UAB has had many good coaches over the years, including some very good assistant coaches. Yeah, states like Alabama will always be a bit disadvantaged vs. surrounding states because of lottery money, but it's hard for me to understand why Samford, Jacksonvllle State, South Alabama, Troy and Alabama State can be consistently good and often better than UAB. Samford has just owned the Blazers of late, for example. I guess it has to be facilities.

Uh oh, you just opened the door for the lottery lesson.

It is one of the reasons we can’t compete. I have no confidence it will change as Alabama refuses to elect competent people.

(06-25-2021 09:32 AM)UAB Schnauzer Wrote:  

(06-25-2021 09:26 AM)BlazerFromMD Wrote:  

(06-24-2021 03:20 PM)DuelingDragon Wrote:  It is really hard to understand why UAB hasn't been better in baseball. UAB has had many good coaches over the years, including some very good assistant coaches. Yeah, states like Alabama will always be a bit disadvantaged vs. surrounding states because of lottery money, but it's hard for me to understand why Samford, Jacksonvllle State, South Alabama, Troy and Alabama State can be consistently good and often better than UAB. Samford has just owned the Blazers of late, for example. I guess it has to be facilities.

Uh oh, you just opened the door for the lottery lesson.

It is one of the reasons we can’t compete. I have no confidence it will change as Alabama refuses to elect competent people.

The public will usually get the government that they vote for.

I wonder if UAB alum & current LSU pitching coach, Alan Dunn, could be part of staff? I know he's been making a lot more than he would make here, but he's on the back side of his career, not likely to stay with new staff & all of his family lives in the state. Just curious if anyone has any info on Casey's staff?

According to figures from the 2010 U.S. Census, the average adult Alabamian had less than a 10th grade education so one might expect them to vote accordingly. They tend to follow (like sheep?) a designated leader (who right now is Donald Trump) who tells them for whom to vote.( so far, 2 of the 3 announced candidates for the 2022 U.S.Senate race have made a pilgrimage to Mara-Lago to "kiss up" to Trump)

State lotteries only impact college sports if the state sets up a "Hope Scholarship program" like Georgia did. Like with any state revenue, the state's legislature directs where state money will go. Alabama does not have a strong tradition of spending state income on educational priorities. That was why Gov. Bibb Graves in. the 1930s had to set up the SETF to promise at least some state money to public schools. By the 1950s, Alabama was able to have a 9 month school year (up from 6 months since 1901) with periodic annual proration cuts when SETF money ran short.

https://youtu.be/Uc_r7JghwzY. 3085 seats good enough to host NCAA events. I posted this many years ago but this would look great at Young Memorial.

(06-26-2021 05:55 PM)bigdunks Wrote:  https://youtu.be/Uc_r7JghwzY. 3085 seats good enough to host NCAA events. I posted this many years ago but this would look great at Young Memorial.

I liked the tour of the K State facility that follows the Cincy video. "Omaham" would be a nice goal statement.

@KendallRogers
SCOOP: @UAB_Baseball head coach Casey Dunn is expected to fill out his full-time coaching staff with @GSAthletics_BSB’s BJ Green and @USFBaseball’s Alan Kunkel, sources tell @d1baseball.

(06-29-2021 11:54 AM)BlazinBham Wrote:  @KendallRogers
SCOOP: @UAB_Baseball head coach Casey Dunn is expected to fill out his full-time coaching staff with @GSAthletics_BSB’s BJ Green and @USFBaseball’s Alan Kunkel, sources tell @d1baseball.

That is a big-time staff!

BJ Green is one of the better college players to come from this area over the last couple of decades, and did a heck of a job at Alabama and Georgia Southern. He carries great credibility in recruiting both of these important states.

Kunkel is incredibly well connected in Florida. He knows that amateur circuit and high schools in the Sunshine State about as well as anyone.

To be successful, UAB absolutely HAS to recruit Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Check. Check. Check.

Landing both of these guys to go with Coach Dunn says something about renewed commitment to baseball.

Now we just need someone who can recruit the Dominican Republic.