The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Mortensen Names Ryan McNamara as Quality Control Assistant Coach
1/23/2026 12:00:00 PM | Football
BIRMINGHAM – UAB Head Football Coach Alex Mortensen has named Ryan McNamara as a Quality Control/Assistant Cornerbacks Coach. McNamara comes to Birmingham after serving on staff at Oklahoma State as a Defensive Quality Control Coach in 2025.
McNamara arrived in Stillwater after three seasons at Central Michigan, spending time as the linebackers coach in 2024 after serving as general manager in 2022, where he oversaw recruiting and player personnel and also helped secure the MAC's top-ranked recruiting class in 2023.
In almost 20 years of coaching, McNamara has helped 10 teams reach bowl games, developed 12 players who were drafted or spent multiple seasons in the NFL, and spent 11 combined years coaching in the SEC at Florida and Mississippi State.
McNamara joined Central Michigan in 2022 following seven seasons as Florida's defensive backs assistant. He helped the Gators win three SEC East titles, reached multiple SEC Championship Games, established one of the top pass defenses in the SEC and nation in multiple seasons, and helped develop first-round NFL draft picks Kaiir Elam and CJ Henderson.
Before Florida, McNamara coached at Valdosta State, serving as defensive backs coach, recruiting coordinator, and special teams overseer, contributing to a Division II national championship, three playoff appearances, and coaching NFL standout Kenny Moore.
McNamara also spent four years at Mississippi State as a defensive quality control assistant and graduate assistant, helping the Bulldogs reach four straight bowl games, co-developing the "Juice Points" system, and mentoring award-winning defensive back Jonathan Banks and All-SEC linebacker Matt Wells.
A Norcross, Georgia native, McNamara holds degrees from Florida (B.S. in Business Administration, 2005), Valdosta State (M.B.A., 2009), and Mississippi State (Master of Community College Education, 2012). He also previously worked at EA Sports-Tiburon in Maitland, Fla. from 2003-06, contributing to the production of the Madden NFL video game.
McNamara is married to his wife, Jennie. The couple have two daughters, Elsie and Quinn.
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