The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Running Backs
- Email:
- hbrigham@uab.edu
- Phone:
- 975-9536
Updated March of 2024
The 2024 season marks Hindley Brigham’s ninth year at UAB as the running backs coach.
Brigham has been instrumental in coaching the top three leading rushers in program history. Since 2017, Brigham has led Spencer Brown (2017-20), DeWayne McBride (2020-22) and Jermaine Brown Jr. (2019-23) to record setting careers.
These three players are the only three in school history to rush for over 3,000 career yards as Brown ranks first (4,011) followed by McBride (3,542) and Brown Jr. (3,078), and all three shattered the record books along the way.
Most recently, Brigham guided Jermaine Brown Jr. to the school record in career all-purpose yards (5,026). In addition to the school record in all-purpose yards, Brown Jr. finished his career ranked 1st in career receptions by a running back (95), 2nd in receiving yards by a running back (789), 3rd in career rushing yards (3,078), 4th in career rushing touchdowns (30) and 4th in career 100-yard rushing games (11).
As a senior in 2023, Brown Jr. had 803 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, to go along with 41 catches for 416 yards and 15 kickoff returns for 331 yards. He had a total of 1,550 all-purpose yards and his average of 129.2 all-purpose YPG led the AAC.
In 2022, McBride had the most decorated single season in program history as he set school records for rushing yards (1,713), rushing yards per game (155.7), rushing touchdowns (19), yards per carry (7.35), 100-yard games (10), 200-yard games (3) and total points (114). Additionally, he set the single game school rushing records with 272 yards in the season finale against Louisiana Tech.
In just 11 games, McBride led the entire nation in rushing. For his efforts, he earned five All-America honors, highlighted by Walter Camp Second Team All-America accolades and he was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year.
In three seasons, McBride finished his career with 3,523 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns, which are both second all-time. He is UAB’s career leader in rushing yards per game (117.4) and yards per carry (7.3).
The Blazers finished eighth nationally in rushing offense in 2022 with an average of 235.6 rushing yards per game. That average, along with 3,063 total rushing yards established new school records.
Along with McBride’s elite season, Brigham also guided Jermaine Brown Jr. to a career-best 948 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Brown Jr. had five 100-yard rushing games in 2022 and was the other half to one of the most lethal 1-2 punches in the nation.
Spencer Brown (2017-2020), who currently plays for the Carolina Panthers, finished as UAB’s career leading rusher with 4,011 yards and also holds the school records for rushing touchdowns (41), total touchdowns (42) and 100-yard games (19).
Brown was named a FWAA Freshman All-American and the Conference USA Freshman of the Year in 2017 after rushing for 1,329 yards and 10 touchdowns. In 2018, Brigham guided Brown to 1,227 yards and a then school record 16 rushing touchdowns, along with also setting the single season school record for total touchdowns (17) and points scored (102). Those records stood until 2022.
Brown became the school’s rushing leader as a junior and then averaged over 100 yards per game in eight games during the shortened 2020 COVID season. Brown had 889 yards rushing yards in 2020 (111.1/game).
Brown also became the first player in Conference USA history to be named the Conference USA Championship Game MVP twice as he led the Blazers to conference supremacy in 2018 and 2020. He rushed for 156 and 149 yards, respectively, in those two championship games.
The Blazers didn’t miss a beat upon Brown’s graduation as DeWayne McBride rushed for 1,371 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2021. His 1,371 yards were the third most rushing yards in a single season and his 13 touchdowns were tied for second most. McBride also averaged 6.72 yards per carry, which was the fifth best average nationally.
Brigham was named UAB’s running backs coach in May of 2017 after spending the previous year as the Blazers’ offensive analyst.
A standout running back for local Mountain Brook High School, Brigham began his collegiate playing career at Baylor and was a Second Team Academic All-Big 12 performer following his sophomore season. After two years with the Bears, Brigham transferred to Furman where he etched his name into the record book from 2002-03.
He led the Paladins in rushing in both 2002 and 2003, which included running for 1,042 yards and five touchdowns in 2003. In addition to being named a team captain for the 2003 season, he was also honored as a Second Team All-Southern Conference performer.
Brigham was also bestowed the John Bagwell Offensive Back Award by the Furman coaching staff for the ’03 season. For his career, Brigham compiled nine 100-yard rushing games, and currently ranks 11th all-time with 2,034 rushing yards. Brigham capped off his college career with a 145-yard and one touchdown performance in a 63-21 victory over Chattanooga.
In 2007, Brigham coached running backs at Birmingham Southern under head coach Joey Jones, where he led a unit that amassed 1,833 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns during the Panthers return to the gridiron following a 68-year hiatus.
From 2010-11, Brigham was an English teacher at Cornerstone Schools of Alabama while also coaching soccer and basketball. He returned to his Alma Mater of Mountain Brook in 2012 where he coached running backs for one year.
He graduated from Furman in 2003 with a degree in political science and earned his second degree in English from the University of Montevallo in 2015.
Brigham and wife Erin reside in Vestavia Hills, Ala., and have two children, daughter Dot and son Tuff.
