volinbham
VN GURU
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2004
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Short version:
Board and PBBJr in particular did not want UAB to have football.
The first sabotage was nixing the Jimbo Fisher hire and installing Calloway (who was never in the coaching search). Calloway nearly destroyed the program on his own. Calloway was connected to PBBJr.
The previous president had considerable momentum for an on campus stadium with commitments for all the corporate boxes. At the Board meeting where they were supposed to vote to move forward, the Board "tabled" the issue and never allowed it to come to a vote.
Somewhere in this mix the previous President was forced out (resignation a week or so into Fall semester). Ray Watts came in.
Clark was hired but immediately ran into resistance from the Board. One example - the practice field was a crappy, pot hole filled field. Clark and the AD raised money to get a proper practice field but the Board shut it down.
Watts decided to can football and hired a consulting firm to assess the "financial impact" of the program. Watts made the following claims:
1. He made no decision prior to receiving the results of the study - this was proven to be false through leaked documents showing the were planning the best time to announce the cancellation before the season even started.
2. He claimed the Board not only had no input into the decision but they weren't even aware of the consideration. Doesn't hold water given the level of micro-management on athletics from the board (see practice field, coaching search or any number of other examples).
3. He claimed the report showed football was not sustainable but once the report was made public it was clear the report was lopsided.
4. He claimed there was no support for UAB football but it came out that not only had he not solicited support but that he/UAB had refused some of the support that was offered.
Some boosters caught wind of the impending decision and organized both to seek financial support but also to out the behind the scenes decision making.
The end was also the beginning - when Watts told the team in was over he botched the job so badly and leaked video from the meeting went viral showing him to look like a heartless stooge of the Board.
UAB reacted with "No Confidence" votes from the UG students, Grad students, Faculty and Alumni Association. Of course the Board stood by him 100% completely ignoring these votes. More evidence this wasn't some surprise to them - if it were they'd have fired him for making such a decision and the PR disaster it became.
The community and the students organized and made their voices heard. The students in particular did it right - it wasn't demands; they kept it positive (and non-violent). The community ponied up and Watts changed his mind (though he looked pain to announce the return).
In the end UAB football is better off than it would have been without the cancellation but that doesn't excuse the shenanigans.
PBBJr. is finally off the Board (age limited out) but it is still dominated by UA people and a significant number are financially linked to PBBJr.
The performance of the team this year has been the absolute best think that could have happened.
