The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Murry Bartow Resigns As UAB Men's Basketball Head Coach
3/11/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 11, 2002
Murry Bartow, head basketball coach of the UAB Blazers, notified the administration that he is stepping down to pursue other options, UAB Athletic Director Herman Frazier announced today.
Bartow stated, "After consultation over the last few days with many of my friends in the basketball community I felt it was in my best interests to pursue other opportunities within the coaching profession."
"All of us at UAB, myself included, are very grateful to Murry Bartow, whose life and career have been so closely connected to UAB and to its athletic program," Frazier said. "His father, of course, is also the father of this program and the person behind so many of the successes and accomplishments that have occurred over the past two decades. As a student, a player, an alum and a coach, Murry Bartow has given his all to carry on that tradition and we are very grateful to him. His loyalty to UAB is unquestioned and he made important contributions to the success of Blazer athletics."
Bartow's departure ends his six-year tenure as head coach of the Blazers. His career record stands at 103-83 and three post-season appearances, including trips to the NIT following the 1997 and 1998 seasons and a trip to the NCAA Tournament following the 1999 season.
"We have begun the process of finding a successor," Frazier said. "I have several people with whom I'd like to speak to regarding this important position in the athletic program. We are searching for someone who is a proven winner, who can carry on the tradition of integrity long established in our intercollegiate athletics program and who is devoted to the success of our student athletes and our program as a whole."
Named only the second head coach in UAB history after the 1995-96 season, Bartow guided the Blazers to an 18-14 mark and an NIT appearance in 1996-97. The 18 victories ranked him seventh among 25 first-year head coaches in NCAA Division I play during that season. That set the tone for an even more successful season the following year, as the Blazers finished 21-12 overall and advanced to the second round of the NIT. He followed that with a 20-12 season and a trip to the NCAA tournament.
The son of Coach Gene and Mrs. Ruth Bartow, he grew up around the game of basketball, and apprenticed at the side of two of the game's master teachers, Gene Bartow and Indiana's Bob Knight. Bartow began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Indiana (1985-87), and worked with the Hoosiers' 1987 NCAA Championship team. He then worked for two seasons a full-time assistant and recruiting coordinator at William & Mary (1987-89).
During his seven seasons as an assistant on the UAB staff (1989-96), Bartow developed a reputation as an energetic teacher and recruiter, and was often mentioned as one of the nation's top defensive strategists.
A 1980 graduate of Birmingham's W.A. Berry High School, Bartow was an outstanding point guard, earning All-Jefferson County honors and his team's MVP award as a senior. He played basketball at UAB from 1981-85, and was part of four NCAA Tournament teams, three Sun Belt Conference championship teams and UAB's 1984 Great Alaska Shootout title team. He was also a member of the golf team while at UAB. Bartow earned his B.A. in business administration from UAB in 1985, and his master's degree from Indiana in 1987.
