The Goat Pen

An alumnus and faculty member of Alabama-Birmingham?

Correct. Although we prefer the designation UAB as opposed to any hyphenated nonsense.

So you're saying that the Board gave UAB months to raise the money pledged by the boosters for $300,000 dollars before they denied the contract for Jimbo Fisher?

It was $300K/yr for the life of the contract + 1 year rollover (I believe). So, $1.5MM to $1.8MM.

And the university would have been on the hook for less than their previous coach

It was close whatever the numbers were. Watson made in the $300-400k range iirc....BUT....

He only made that "much" because he became head coach AND athletics director sometime around 2000-2001 so he could make more money. In 2005 (maybe 2006?) It was used as an excuse for his poor performance.

What is the excuse they've used for your poor performance?

Alcoholism.

Well played.

This is where I got the numbers: from CBS sports December 2006

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/9891201

<i>What has happened this month to UAB, however, is an outrage. Essentially, Little Bear's Board of Trustees blocked UAB from hiring the football coach it wanted. Twice. And the second time, Little Bear's Board stopped UAB from hiring the coach it wanted because, presumably, the coach UAB wanted -- Jimbo Fisher -- might also be wanted by Alabama.

Ugly, but that's the deal, based on SportsLine.com conversations with sources close to the situation.

After being blocked by the Board of Trustees in its quest to promote assistant coach Pat Sullivan, who became head coach at Samford, UAB turned to LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher. UAB and Fisher agreed on basic contractual terms, with half of Fisher's annual UAB salary -- ballpark: $600,000 -- to be subsidized by private boosters.

UAB was going to get the coach it wanted, a coach whose rumored arrival already was waking up the comatose UAB football program -- yet would have been on the hook for less salary than ex-coach Watson Brown, who made $375,000. It was perfect.</i>

So, Brown made $375. He only made that much due to his dual role as AD and HC.

I can't get your link to work.

It's very aggravating. Your link carries me to the mobile site and no article. Seeing how it's CBS and the blog/like verbiage, I assume it's Doyel. So I'm not in a hurry to read it. He's an idiot.

[img2]http://imgick.al.com/home/bama-media/wi ... mmmain.jpg[/img2]

I need to see more photographic evidence of the low draw of the Ala.-B'ham football program.

It's UAB.

And...okay:


[img2]http://imgick.al.com/home/bama-media/pg ... 0f4221.JPG[/img2]

U OF Cincinnati looked like that once. Just takes time. It too bad all the Bama fans have turned against them even though they are no threat. Or are they?

It would be tough in this state. People care about Alabama and Auburn. UAB can compete when either are playing. Maybe if they played all their home games on Thursday.

You would think that being good state schools Alabama and Auburn could dip a bit into their massive profits to help a brother out. UAB is never going to be a threat to either. I think they just hate the people of Birmingham. Much like we do Cleveland, Columbus and those ugly Toledo people.

Good god. There is no reason for Bama or AU to give cash to UAB's moribund program. UAB's own students and alumni won't support it. There is no need for any outside entities to keep this wheezing skeleton on life support.

Auburn and UA should support themselves and if UAB can't make it, the program should be put back down.