Brian Shoop - Baseball Coach

Brian Shoop

Title:
Baseball Head Coach
Email:
bshoop@uab.edu
Phone:
934-5181

A 29-year veteran of the sport, UAB baseball coach Brian Shoop enters his 14th season at the helm of the Blazers in 2020. In his time on the Southside, he has molded UAB into one of the most successful programs both on and off the field.

Shoop Segments
- Overall Record: 1,054-685-1 (29)
- UAB Record: 355-385 (13)
- 2015 Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award
- 2014 Keith LeClair Conference USA Coach of the Year
- 2001 NAIA National Champion

UAB Years
In 2019, Shoop and the Blazers narrowly missed the Conference USA tournament. The squad finished just under .500 at 27-29, going 18-13 at home. UAB ended the season on a hot streak, winning nine of the final 13 games including victories over Auburn, who advanced to the College World Series, and Southern Miss, who took the Conference USA title. Shoop also helped guide redshirt freshman outfielder Jess Davis on his way to being selected to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team. Beyond the season, Shoop groomed UAB's highest draft pick in program history as right-handed pitcher Graham Ashcraft was selected in the sixth round (174 overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft by the CIncinnati Reds following the season. Infielder Tyler Tolbert soon followed, being chosen in the 13th round by the Kansas City Royals.

The 2018 season saw the UAB baseball team return to the Conference USA Tournament for the first time since 2016. The road to get there included a shutout of the then reigning Big 10 Champion Iowa in game three, a 6-4 win over Alabama and a walkoff single in the bottom of the ninth inning to clinch a spot in the eight team field. Brett Blackwood was named to the C-USA Second Team for his efforts during the season.

In the classroom, the Blazers earned C-USA’s Team Academic Excellence Award for having the highest baseball team GPA in the league. Three players boasted perfect 4.0s, while Brett Blackwood and Carter Pharis earned sports on the Conference USA All-Academic Team, making UAB one of two schools with multiple players on the 11 team roster.

2017 saw success on the diamond for the Blazers and personal success for Shoop as he joined the 1,000-win club on April 21 with a 14-9 route of Louisiana Tech. The Blazers 2017 season was highlighted with many victories, including sweeps of Creighton and ULM, but none bigger than an 8-2 win over No. 14 Auburn in front of a record crowd of 5,344 at Regions Field.

Following the success on the diamond Brewer Hicklen became the highest draft selection in school history going in the seventh round to the Kansas City Royals. Garrett Whitlock joined Hicklen in the MLB draft going in the 18th round to the New York Yankees.

The 2016 Blazer team was dominant at home tallying 16 wins on their home diamond including two wins over No. 18 Southern Miss and a mid-week victory over No. 22 Alabama.

Off the field, UAB’s efforts in the classroom were exceptional with 31 of the 33 guys on the guys earning a 3.0 GPA or better. The classroom accomplishments were highlighted with the Blazers earning the Team Academic Excellence Award awarded by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

In 2015, Shoop guided the Blazers to the Conference USA Championship game in 2015 marking the second time in four seasons the Green and Gold reached the league championship game. The championship game capped the program’s third 30-win season in the last four years.

While Shoop led the Blazers to many high points, he garnered some individual accomplishments along the way including win No. 950 against Louisiana Tech and was the national recipient of the Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award, given annually by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Four Blazers were named All-Conference in 2015 highlighted by James Naile’s first team selection, Esteban Tresgallo and Adam Lau earning second team honors and Ryan Ruggles being tabbed to the All-Freshman squad.

To cap a very successful season three Blazers were in the MLB draft, the most since the 1996 campaign. Alex Luna went in the 10th round to the Kansas City Royals, James Naile was a 20th round selection by the Oakland A’s and Adam Lau was picked up in the 37th round by the Boston Red Sox.

In 2014 the UAB baseball team had one of its best seasons in program history. The Blazers recorded 35 wins, their most since 1993, and finished in second place in the Conference USA polls, the highest finish since joining the league in 1996.

Shoop was tabbed the 2014 Keith LeClair Conference USA Coach of the Year, his ninth coach of the year selection in his career. Five other members of the squad earned postseason recognition from C-USA including Josh Hooper who was named Assistant Coach of the Year and Chase Mallard who garnered Pitcher of the Year. Mallard also became the fourth All-American in program history.

The 2014 team set many school records. The UAB set a program record with nine shutouts, which ranked 14th in the nation. The team held a school-best 2.87 ERA, the 24th best in the country. The team also won a school record 20-games in conference play highlighted by two wins over No. 29 FIU. Additionally, the Blazers took down No. 9 Alabama on the road.

In 2013 Shoop guided the UAB baseball team to its third consecutive appearance in the Conference USA Tournament. The Blazers extended their streak of defeating a nationally ranked opponent to seven seasons when UAB took down No. 18 Rice. John Frost became the seventh Blazers to earn All-Conference USA First Team honors under Shoop. Off the field, Ryan Prinzing became the first member of the UAB baseball program to earn Academic All-American honors.

Shoop led the Blazers on a historic run in 2012, guiding the Green and Gold to its first ever Conference USA Tournament Championship and second NCAA appearance in program history. The Blazers finished the regular season as the No. 7 seed in the C-USA Tournament field. UAB would upset nationally ranked UCF and Tulane before shutting out Memphis, 5-0, to capture the league’s tournament crown as the lowest seed to ever win the championship.

In 2012, the Blazers earned four wins against top-20 ranked program including at No. 16 Clemson, two wins against No. 16 UCF and No. 5 Rice.

After capturing the conference title, Shoop had six players earn All-Tournament accolades including Ryan Nance, Chase Mallard, John Frost, Jeff Schalk, Keith DePew and Tournament MVP Michael Busby.

Four Blazers earned All-Conference recognition in 2011, led by first-team selection Jamal Austin. Teammates Nick Crawford, Dillon Napoleon and Ryan Wooley earned Second-Team honors, while John Frost was named to the Conference USA All-Tournament team. Napoleon also earned the conference’s Newcommer of the Year award, the first Blazer to ever win the award.

Follow the conclusion of the 2011 season, Ryan Wooley was selected in the 13th round of the MLB Amateur Draft by the Detroit Tigers while Jamal Austin went in the 13th round to the Seattle Mariners.

In 2010, the Blazers won series against No. 4 Rice and, College World Series participant, Southern Miss en route to finishing a three-way tie for third place in the Conference USA standings.

Shoop took over the program in 2007 and the Blazers saw immediate success. That season, the Blazers immediately improved from an eighth place finish in Conference USA to a fourth place finish. A year late, Shoop coached Ryan Keedy to one of the best statistical seasons in UAB history in 2008, leading Conference USA with a .423 batting average and setting a school record for doubles with 29. The eventual 16th round draft pick by the Chicago Cubs also blasted 10 home runs with 69 RBI.

The 2008 season was also highlighted by the Blazers’ academic success. UAB earned the Conference USA Sport Academic award for baseball after posting a team GPA of 3.06 for the 2007-08 academic year. In 2009, UAB pitcher James Oliver was named the Conference USA Scholar-Athlete of the Year for baseball and in 2012 Keith DePew was named UAB’s top senior student-athlete.

Shoop was appointed as the head coach of the UAB baseball program on June 12, 2006 by Interim Director of Athletics Richard Margison.

Birmingham-Southern
Shoop came to UAB after serving as the head coach of the Birmingham Southern baseball coach for 17 seasons where he compiled a 699-300-1 (.700) record.

Shoop holds the records for most wins by a head coach in Birmingham Southern history after turning in an eight-year run of winning 40 games or more by winning 55 in 2001. He finished with 32 or more wins in 16 of 17 years at the school.

Under Shoop, the Panthers claimed the claimed the Big South regular season championships in 2004 and 2006. His 2004 squad earned a berth in the NCAA Athens Regional following a 47-18 season that made him the recipient of the 2004 Big South Conference USA Coach of the Year award as well as the ABCA Coach of the Year honor.

In 2001, Birmingham Southern’s final year of NAIA competition, Shoop led the Panthers to a school record 55 wins on the way to claiming the NAIA National Championship, the program’s first ever title. Shoop was named the 2001 NAIA National Coach of the Year and Region XI Coach of the Year from the ABCA. Following the Panther’s run to the national championship, Shoop was selected to greet President George W. Bush at the Birmingham International Airport during his visit to the “Magic City”.

At Birmingham Southern, Shoop’s teams’ averaged 41 wins a season and captured nine regular season conference titles and eight league tournament championships. He led his squads to 10 regional appearances with three runner-up finishes and four regional titles.

Shoop received his share of accolades including being a two-time TransSouth Conference Coach of the Year and three time ABCA Mid-South Region Coach of the Year. Shoop was named either conference or district coach of the year in seven his 11 years and Birmingham Southern. Additionally, he served as the NAIA Southeastern Regional Chairman for four years.

Mississippi State
Before taking over the helm of the Birmingham Southern program, Shoop served as an assistant coach at Mississippi State from 1983-89 under legendary head coach Ron Polk. In his time in Starkville, he helped the Bulldogs win three SEC championships and earn six regional appearances with a trip to the College World Series in 1985. During his tenure, Shoop coaches MLB standouts Will Clark, Rafael Palmeiro, Jeff Brantley and Bobby Thigpen.

Malone
An Ohio native, Shoop began his coaching career at his alma mater, Malone (Ohio) College where he was an All-District performer. Malone was the Ohio NAIA champion in each of Shoop’s six years as a player and coach. He was a member of the 1996 Malone Hall of Fame class.

Personal
Shoop earned a double degree in physical education and business/economics from Malone and a master’s degree in sports administration from Kent State. He also completed his doctoral course work in educational leadership from Mississippi State.

Shoop and his wife, Brenda, reside in Birmingham and have five children: Scott, Emily, Hannah and twins Sarah and Jesse.