People of UAB

Clark named National Coach of the Year by CBS Sports

Blazer football adds to its postseason with Coach Clark being named CBS Sports National Coach of the Year.
Written by: Ted Feeley
Media contact: Tyler Greer, tgreer@uab.edu


bill clark 900UAB head football coach Bill Clark continues to add to his postseason accolades as CBS Sports has named him National Coach of the Year, the outlet released on Wednesday.

Clark guided the Blazers to their best season in program history and did so after two years of not playing a game and rebuilding a program from scratch.

"Bill will be the first to say that this is a team award, but for multiple national outlets to continue naming him Coach of the Year shows what a tremendous job he and his staff have done this season," Director of Athletics Mark Ingram said. "To keep the players hungry and passionate about football without playing for two years is a major undertaking and Bill has navigated that unprecedented challenge with unwavering determination. We now have an opportunity to win our first postseason game in the Bahamas Bowl and I couldn't think of a better way to cap the greatest comeback in college football history."

UAB finished the regular season with an overall record of 8-4 and a mark of 6-2 in C-USA, both of which are program records. The Blazers will be playing in just their second-ever bowl game in nine days when UAB faces Ohio in the 2017 Bahamas Bowl.

"I am excited to once again join the UAB community in congratulating Coach Clark on an award he has worked so hard to earn," UAB President Ray L. Watts said. "There is no coach more deserving to be National Coach of the Year and we are all very 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 it is exciting to see prestigious organizations like CBS Sports take notice. We look forward to a bright future and many more honors for Coach Clark and the team."

Clark is the first coach from the Group of Five to ever earn this distinction. Along with this award, he has garnered multiple national recognition this season including:

  • Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award Finalist (FWAA)

  • George Munger Coach of the Year Award Semifinalist (Maxwell Football Club)

  • The "Herbies" Award National Coach of the Year (Kirk Herbstreit)

  • Bleacher Report National Coach of the Year

  • Conference USA Coach of the Year

  • Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award Nominee

UAB's bowl game is nationally televised on ESPN at 11:30 a.m. CST on Dec. 22. The Blazers look for their first postseason victory in program history. 

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