UAB's Bill Clark Making A Case For National Coach Of The Year

BIRMINGHAM, AL - What a difference a year makes. This time last year, not only was the UAB football program not winning, they were not even playing. This time last year, the football program was entering its second year of non-existence. For those who don't know, the University of Alabama Board of Trustees voted to terminate the UAB football program after the 2014 season citing poor attendance, support and revenue. A rally from students and fans and members of the Birmingham business community brought the program back, and the expectations for this year were less than optimistic. The Blazers were picked to finish last in Conference USA, and most writers had UAB winning one or two games at the most.

Again, what a difference a year makes. Sitting at 6-3 and now bowl eligible after a 52-24 stomping of Rice Saturday, UAB is playing like a winner, and that has turned the heads of national football analysts who are mentioning Blazers coach Bill Clark as a National Coach of the Year candidate. And why not? After winning Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2014, Clark could have left for another job after the UAB program was terminated. But he stuck around under a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the program and brought a team onto the field that is exceeding anyone's expectations.

CBS Sports college football analyst Barrett Sallee tweeted this week, "Seriously, @CoachBillClark has to be national coach of the year. There is no debate now. He has to be the guy."

Veteran sports editor Scott Adamson has spent the last 10 years covering sports in South Carolina (most recently at the Seneca Journal), where he has covered the likes of national championship coaches Steve Spurrier and Dabo Swinney, and he said he does not just think of Clark as a contender for the highest coaching honor in college football, but sees him as the favorite.

"I remember thinking before the season if UAB could win four games that would count as a major success," Adamson said. "Remember … this was a team that had been given the death penalty, although it was executed through no fault of its own. Regardless of whether or not some players stuck it out – which is a huge credit to Clark – UAB was still starting over. To get bowl eligible with six wins through its first nine games is remarkable. There are obviously other coaches who have done great jobs this season, but no one has done a better job than Clark."

Sallee's colleague Dennis Dodd at CBS Sports also tweeted, "Bill Clark should get serious run 4 national coach of year. Has UAB bowl eligible in 1st year back as a program. Will get outside interest."

That "outside interest" has fans at Ole Miss, Tennessee and and elsewhere interested in their schools taking a look at Clark. That said, UAB extended Clark's contract as his pay jumps up to $900,000 and will increase to $1.015 million over the course of an extension that goes through the 2022 season.

UAB takes on UTSA in San Antonio Saturday and will travel to Gainsville to play Florida the week after that. Most bowl projections have the Blazers either going to the New Orleans Bowl or the Gasparilla Bowl in St. Petersburg.

Photo of UAB Head Coach Bill Clark by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images