The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Bill Clark Named Conference USA Coach of the Year
12/6/2017 12:47:00 PM | Football
IRVING, Texas - For guiding the UAB football team to a program record number of wins after a two-year hiatus, Bill Clark has been named the 2017 Conference USA Coach of Year, as announced by league officials on Wednesday.
Ranked No. 130 by preseason publications and picked to finish last in the C-USA preseason poll, Clark led the Blazers to an 8-4 overall record and a mark of 6-2 in league action, both of which are school records. UAB finished second in the C-USA West Division and will play Ohio in the Bahamas Bowl on Dec. 22.
Clark is a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year (FWAA) and a semifinalist for the George Munger National Coach of the Year (Maxwell Football Club).
"What Bill Clark and his staff have accomplished over the last two and half years is simply amazing and we are honored his fellow C-USA coaches agreed by naming him Coach of the Year," said Director of Athletics Mark Ingram. "The entire football world has been watching us closely this season and Bill has done a fantastic job keeping the players focused week in and week out. We are thrilled to be playing in the Bahamas Bowl and look to cap off this season on a high note with our program's first ever bowl victory."
Along with building a roster from scratch, Clark played an integral role in helping raise over $45 million to reinstate football which includes the new state-of-the-art Football Operations Center that UAB football now calls home.
"I am excited to join the UAB community in congratulating Coach Clark on this hard earned and well deserved honor," said UAB President Ray L. Watts. "We are all tremendously proud of UAB Football's historic on-field success, as well as the team's commitment to the classroom and the community. Coach Clark's leadership has been essential in establishing a new standard of excellence for the program, and we look forward to a bright future and many more honors for Coach Clark and the team."
Clark galvanized an entire community as Birmingham helped UAB lead Conference USA in attendance this season with an average of 26,375 fans per game. Included in that was a record-setting crowd of 45,212 for UAB's return to the field versus Alabama A&M on Sept. 2.
On the field, Clark orchestrated one of UAB's most potent offenses in program history and a devastating ground game featuring true freshman Spencer Brown. The Birmingham native ran for 1,292 yards and 10 touchdowns and enters the Bahamas Bowl needing 97 yards to set the Conference USA freshman rushing record.
Clark also guided quarterback A.J. Erdely to record setting numbers as the junior tied a school record with 13 rushing touchdowns. Erdely threw for over 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns while completing 61.8 percent of his passes. His 29 total touchdowns are the second most in a single season at UAB and he needs three more to tie Joe Webb for the most in school history and four to sit alone at the top.
When the program was reinstated, Clark immediately turned to three seniors who became the backbone in Tevin Crews, Shaq Jones and Darious Williams, and Clark guided all three to unprecedented levels of success.
Williams was a First Team All-Conference USA selection as a lockdown corner and currently ranks second nationally in passes defended. He finished the regular season leading C-USA in pass breakups (15) and interceptions (5).
Tevin Crews almost tripled his production from his junior year in 2014 as he led the team in tackles with 95 and shared a team high in tackles for loss (12.0) with Jones. Crews finished the regular season as the only player in Conference USA to rank in the top 10 in both tackles and tackles for loss.
Jones had 55 tackles and 12.0 TFL at the jack linebacker position and set the example for the team on and off the field. Along with his on-field production, Jones was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and is a semifinalist for the inaugural Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, both awarded for exceptional community service and humanitarian work.
In all, Clark guided 11 players to All-Conference USA accolades in 2017.
In their 20-year history as FBS members, the Blazers have been bowl eligible five times and both years under the direction of Clark. He is 14-10 overall in two seasons at the helm and has an opportunity to lead UAB to its first bowl victory in program history.
Clark and the Blazers face Ohio University (8-4) in the Bahamas Bowl on Dec. 22 at 11:30 a.m. CST on ESPN from Thomas A. Robinson Memorial Stadium.
Ranked No. 130 by preseason publications and picked to finish last in the C-USA preseason poll, Clark led the Blazers to an 8-4 overall record and a mark of 6-2 in league action, both of which are school records. UAB finished second in the C-USA West Division and will play Ohio in the Bahamas Bowl on Dec. 22.
Clark is a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year (FWAA) and a semifinalist for the George Munger National Coach of the Year (Maxwell Football Club).
"What Bill Clark and his staff have accomplished over the last two and half years is simply amazing and we are honored his fellow C-USA coaches agreed by naming him Coach of the Year," said Director of Athletics Mark Ingram. "The entire football world has been watching us closely this season and Bill has done a fantastic job keeping the players focused week in and week out. We are thrilled to be playing in the Bahamas Bowl and look to cap off this season on a high note with our program's first ever bowl victory."
Along with building a roster from scratch, Clark played an integral role in helping raise over $45 million to reinstate football which includes the new state-of-the-art Football Operations Center that UAB football now calls home.
"I am excited to join the UAB community in congratulating Coach Clark on this hard earned and well deserved honor," said UAB President Ray L. Watts. "We are all tremendously proud of UAB Football's historic on-field success, as well as the team's commitment to the classroom and the community. Coach Clark's leadership has been essential in establishing a new standard of excellence for the program, and we look forward to a bright future and many more honors for Coach Clark and the team."
Clark galvanized an entire community as Birmingham helped UAB lead Conference USA in attendance this season with an average of 26,375 fans per game. Included in that was a record-setting crowd of 45,212 for UAB's return to the field versus Alabama A&M on Sept. 2.
On the field, Clark orchestrated one of UAB's most potent offenses in program history and a devastating ground game featuring true freshman Spencer Brown. The Birmingham native ran for 1,292 yards and 10 touchdowns and enters the Bahamas Bowl needing 97 yards to set the Conference USA freshman rushing record.
Clark also guided quarterback A.J. Erdely to record setting numbers as the junior tied a school record with 13 rushing touchdowns. Erdely threw for over 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns while completing 61.8 percent of his passes. His 29 total touchdowns are the second most in a single season at UAB and he needs three more to tie Joe Webb for the most in school history and four to sit alone at the top.
When the program was reinstated, Clark immediately turned to three seniors who became the backbone in Tevin Crews, Shaq Jones and Darious Williams, and Clark guided all three to unprecedented levels of success.
Williams was a First Team All-Conference USA selection as a lockdown corner and currently ranks second nationally in passes defended. He finished the regular season leading C-USA in pass breakups (15) and interceptions (5).
Tevin Crews almost tripled his production from his junior year in 2014 as he led the team in tackles with 95 and shared a team high in tackles for loss (12.0) with Jones. Crews finished the regular season as the only player in Conference USA to rank in the top 10 in both tackles and tackles for loss.
Jones had 55 tackles and 12.0 TFL at the jack linebacker position and set the example for the team on and off the field. Along with his on-field production, Jones was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and is a semifinalist for the inaugural Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, both awarded for exceptional community service and humanitarian work.
In all, Clark guided 11 players to All-Conference USA accolades in 2017.
In their 20-year history as FBS members, the Blazers have been bowl eligible five times and both years under the direction of Clark. He is 14-10 overall in two seasons at the helm and has an opportunity to lead UAB to its first bowl victory in program history.
Clark and the Blazers face Ohio University (8-4) in the Bahamas Bowl on Dec. 22 at 11:30 a.m. CST on ESPN from Thomas A. Robinson Memorial Stadium.
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