The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Football
Appleby, Austin
Austin Appleby
- Title:
- Wide Receivers
- Email:
- aappleby@uab.edu
- Phone:
- 975-9536
Updated April of 2024
Former Purdue and Florida quarterback Austin Appleby was hired by Head Coach Trent Dilfer in December of 2022 and is in his second season at UAB working with wide receivers.
In 2023, Appleby led Tejhuan Palmer to a career year with 47 catches for 858 yards and seven touchdowns. Palmer’s 858 yards were the seventh most in a single season at UAB and his seven touchdown catches were tied for ninth most in a season. Palmer earned Third Team All-AAC honors for his efforts.
Additionally, Amare Thomas set the single season UAB freshman record with 53 receptions, which were the seventh most catches in a single season overall by a Blazer. Thomas had a career-high nine catches and No. 1 Georgia and had a career-best 99 receiving yards at Tulane.
Overall, Appleby’s unit helped UAB set the single season school record with an average of 450.0 yards per game. The wide receivers caught 179 passes and helped quarterback Jacob Zeno throw for the second most single season yards in school history (3,126).
Prior to UAB, Appleby was the wide receivers coach at Missouri State for three years (2020-22). Along with helping the Bears win the Missouri Valley Conference title in the Spring of 2021, Appleby guided wide receiver Ty Scott to All-America honors as Scott set school records for receptions (66), receiving yards (1,110) and touchdowns (8) in 2021. Xavier Lane also earned All-Conference honors that season with 56 catches for 784 yards and three touchdowns.
Appleby signed as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2017 and began his coaching career in 2018 at Division III powerhouse Mount Union as the quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator. Mount Union reached the DIII National Championship Game in 2018 and Appleby led quarterback D’Angelo Fulford to All-America honors that season.
He spent the spring of 2019 as the quarterback of the AAF’s Orlando Apollos and following that season Appleby joined Jim McElwain’s staff at Central Michigan as an offensive analyst. The Chippewas reached the MAC Championship game in Appleby’s only season there.
Appleby threw for 2,777 yards in his career at Purdue. In his one season with Florida, Appleby threw for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Gators finished 9-4 that season and defeated Iowa 30-3 in the Outback Bowl.
A native of Canton, Ohio, Appleby graduated from Purdue in 2015 with a degree in Selling and Sales Management.
He and his wife Lexie got married in July of 2022.
Former Purdue and Florida quarterback Austin Appleby was hired by Head Coach Trent Dilfer in December of 2022 and is in his second season at UAB working with wide receivers.
In 2023, Appleby led Tejhuan Palmer to a career year with 47 catches for 858 yards and seven touchdowns. Palmer’s 858 yards were the seventh most in a single season at UAB and his seven touchdown catches were tied for ninth most in a season. Palmer earned Third Team All-AAC honors for his efforts.
Additionally, Amare Thomas set the single season UAB freshman record with 53 receptions, which were the seventh most catches in a single season overall by a Blazer. Thomas had a career-high nine catches and No. 1 Georgia and had a career-best 99 receiving yards at Tulane.
Overall, Appleby’s unit helped UAB set the single season school record with an average of 450.0 yards per game. The wide receivers caught 179 passes and helped quarterback Jacob Zeno throw for the second most single season yards in school history (3,126).
Prior to UAB, Appleby was the wide receivers coach at Missouri State for three years (2020-22). Along with helping the Bears win the Missouri Valley Conference title in the Spring of 2021, Appleby guided wide receiver Ty Scott to All-America honors as Scott set school records for receptions (66), receiving yards (1,110) and touchdowns (8) in 2021. Xavier Lane also earned All-Conference honors that season with 56 catches for 784 yards and three touchdowns.
Appleby signed as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2017 and began his coaching career in 2018 at Division III powerhouse Mount Union as the quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator. Mount Union reached the DIII National Championship Game in 2018 and Appleby led quarterback D’Angelo Fulford to All-America honors that season.
He spent the spring of 2019 as the quarterback of the AAF’s Orlando Apollos and following that season Appleby joined Jim McElwain’s staff at Central Michigan as an offensive analyst. The Chippewas reached the MAC Championship game in Appleby’s only season there.
Appleby threw for 2,777 yards in his career at Purdue. In his one season with Florida, Appleby threw for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Gators finished 9-4 that season and defeated Iowa 30-3 in the Outback Bowl.
A native of Canton, Ohio, Appleby graduated from Purdue in 2015 with a degree in Selling and Sales Management.
He and his wife Lexie got married in July of 2022.
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