New UAB Basketball Coach Andy Kennedy Adds To Coaching Staff

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The Andy Kennedy era at UAB began just a week ago, and the new Blazers basketball coach made a splash this week by adding some familiar faces to his staff. Kennedy announced Monday the additions of Philip Pearson, Ryan Cross and Sidney Ball to his staff.

Pearson and Cross will be assistant coaches while Ball will serve as Director of Basketball Operations.

Pearson, who brings more than 20 years of coaching experience working with multiple Division I programs, comes to UAB after spending last season as the director of recruiting at Clemson. Additionally, he has had stops at Georgia, Alabama, Murray State and Little Rock. The teams that Pearson has been on staff have combined for 17 postseason appearances and six conference championships.

During his time in Tuscaloosa, Alabama won more than 200 games, captured the 2002 SEC Championship, played in five NCAA Tournaments, reached the NCAA Elite Eight in 2004 and earned the program's first-ever No. 1 ranking in 2002.

Cross also has 20 years plus of coaching experience. He comes to UAB after serving the last eight seasons at the University of Louisiana Monroe under Keith Richard. He was an assistant coach for six years before being promoted to associate head coach beginning with the 2018-19 season. While at ULM, the Warhawks made four postseason tournaments and posted the third most wins in program history in 2014-15 with 24.

A 2005 UAB graduate, Ball returns to UAB after spending the last six seasons across town as an assistant coach at Samford. In 2016-17, Ball helped the team to its first 20-win season in 11 years and the program's first-ever postseason victory when the Bulldogs defeated Canisius in the CIT.

Prior to coaching, Ball was an academic counselor at Mississippi State, Georgia State and UAB.

Additionally, Kennedy announced that Director of Player Relations Rob Williams and Graduate Assistant Aaron Johnson will remain on staff.