The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB's Christophel Moving Back To Coaching Staff
9/23/2003 12:00:00β―AM | Football
Sept. 23, 2003
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- Rick Christophel, who a year ago gave up his football coaching duties to become an administrator in the UAB Athletic Department, is moving back to the coaching ranks for the next several months to help fill the void left by the absence of the Blazers' Pat Sullivan, according to an announcement by athletics director and head football coach Watson Brown.
Sullivan, UAB's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, is expected to be away from the football program for the next three months after being diagnosed with cancer last week. Sullivan is expected to begin his treatment next week.
With Sullivan out, Brown did not have to look far to try to resolve his dilemma. In Christophel, Brown has a coach he has worked with for more than 20 years. Christophel's coaching emphasis the remainder of the 2003 season will be the UAB quarterbacks.
"Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with Pat and his family and we know he will fight this thing," said Brown. "We hope to have him back with us in a very short period of time after his treatment is completed.
"In the meantime, we had to address his absence and its impact with our football team. It only makes sense to bring Rick back over to football. He is an experienced coach who knows our system. In Pat's absence, we will all have to carry more of the load."
Overall, Christophel spent 27 years coaching football and came to UAB with Brown in 1995 from Mississippi State where he coached wide receivers for four seasons. Before Christophel assumed his duties as senior associate athletic director for the Blazers in the summer of 2002, he had served as UAB's defensive coordinator for the 2001 season.
A 1975 graduate of Austin Peay, Christophel was a four-year starter on the Governors' football team, playing safety as a freshman and quarterback his last three seasons.
UAB (1-3) has an open date this weekend before resuming Conference USA play on Saturday, Oct. 4 with a game at Memphis (1:00 p.m. CT).
