Nick Saban Named A Finalist For The
George Munger Coach Of The Year Award
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| University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
Not everyone wants "to be like Mike." There's a lot of folks, especially football coaches, who wants to be like Nick. University of Alabama football head coach Nick Saban has been named as a finalist for the George Munger Coach of the Year Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced on Monday.
Saban is now in his 10th season as the head coach at Alabama, and has led the Crimson Tide to a 13-0 record this far in 2016. He has, as well, coached Bama to its 26th SEC championship and a No. 1 seed in the 2016 College Football Playoff. This is the ninth consecutive season the Tide has won 10 games under Saban and the sixth straight with 11 wins. Alabama enters the 2016 postseason on a 25-game winning streak, which is the longest current streak in the nation.
In addition to being a George Munger Coach of the Year Award finalist, Saban is also a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year and American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year honors.
The final round of voting for this prestigious honor will open tomorrow, December 14th. Eligible voters include NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and football sports information directors, Maxwell Football Club members and selected national media.
The Munger Award winner is scheduled to be announced on December 29th, and the award will be formally presented at the 80th Maxwell Awards Gala, which will be held on March 10, 2017 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
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Bama Football Places Four On FWAA All-America Team
The awards and accolades for the 2016 University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team and individual student-athletes just keep piling up. Four UA players have been named to the Football Writers
Association of America (FWAA) All-America Team, the organization
announced Monday.
Allen, Foster and Robinson have earned consensus All-America honors with first-team selections by Walter Camp, The Sporting News, Associated Press and now the FWAA.
Allen has won the Bednarik Award, Nagurski Trophy as well as the Hendricks Award, and has been huge helping to lead an Alabama defensive front that leads the country in rush defense (63.4 ypg). He has a career-high 56 tackles this season, including 13 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. Allen also has 15 quarterback hurries, a blocked field goal attempt and two fumble recoveries, both of which were returned for touchdowns.
Foster has been a named called a lot by sportscasters this season. He won the Butkus Award, being presented the award by the man himself, Dick Butkus. Foster has served as captain of the vaunted Alabama defense that ranks first nationally in both total defense (247.8 ypg) and rush defense (63.4 ypg), as well as scoring defense (11.8 ppg). Foster leads the Crimson Tide in tackles with 94, including 12 tackles for loss and four sacks. He also has recorded eight quarterback hurries and two pass breakups.
Humphrey has the distinction of scoring Alabama's first defensive touchdown of the season, returning an interception 18 yards for a score against the USC Trojans in the season-opener back on September third. He has 33 tackles (25 solo) with three tackles for loss, four pass breakups, a forced fumble and two interceptions while allowing only 29 receptions against him in 12 games. Humphrey was an FWAA Freshman All-American selection in 2015, starting all 15 games for the Crimson Tide.
Robinson has won the SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy and Outland Trophy this season, and has been a key cog in the Alabama offensive line. He has been instrumental in helping to protect the quarterback and open lanes for Crimson Tide runners, and is a leader in offense that leads the SEC in scoring (40.5 points per game) and is second in total offense (471.3 yards per game), rushing offense (245.0 yards per game) and yards per rushing attempt (5.7). He is the second Alabama player to win the Jacobs in the last two seasons. Center Ryan Kelly won the award in 2015.
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A.P. Names Six From The Crimson Tide To
The Associated Press All-America Team
The Crimson Tide once again boasts the most first-team honorees with four. Named to the A.P. first team are defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, linebacker Reuben Foster and offensive tackle Cam Robinson. In addition to those four first-team honors, linebacker Tim Williams was named to the A.P. second team, with tight end O.J. Howard being named to the third team.
All six played a huge role during the 2016 football season for the Crimson Tide, and helped put Bama at No. 1 all season long in all the major national polls, run up a 13-0 season thus far, win the Southeastern Conference Championship for the 26th and once again head into the College Football Playoffs for an opportunity to capture its 17th national championship.
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What Saban Said About Lane Kiffin's Departure
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Lane Kiffin Officially Named Head Coach At FAU
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What Saban Said About Lane Kiffin's Departure
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| Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
Alabama head football coach Nick Saban opened his Monday press briefing saying that he already knew everyone wanted to ask him about offense coordinator Lane Kiffin taking the head coaching job at FAU and leaving Alabama, so he opened right up with it.
"You know, Lane's done a phenomenal job for us for the last three years. We appreciate the impact that he's made on this program. You know, we think that this is a wonderful opportunity for him to get to be a head coach again, and I think FAU has selected someone that is going to do a great job for them...and he's done a great job here moulding our offensive players to what they could do to have the best chance to be successful and I think that's always something that's very telling about the quality of a coach.
"So, Lane will stay here and serve as offensive coordinator through our playoff, so we're...pleased for him...but anything else that is said about this I think...you know...Florida Atlantic University have to have an opportunity to do that. They've made a great hire and I think that should be up to them."
Coach Saban was asked if he had a timetable for replacing Lane, to which he responded, "No."
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Lane Kiffin Officially Named Head Coach At FAU
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| FAU Photo & Graphics |
Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin was officially named the head coach at Florida Atlantic University on Tuesday. The FAU Athletic Director said that it was an important day in Florida Atlantic history, and that the search for a new head coach "has been a whirlwind. He went on to say that Kiffin had one of the most accomplished resumes in the sport.
Kiffin then spoke of how both the university and himself are committed to to winning and working together. He spoke of the quality of the players, both at FAU and in state of Florida from which to recruit. He said it would be about working every day to bring a championship to FAU.
Kiffin said, " The process starts today here at Florida Atlantic." He then spoke of how he had been at a place for the past few years that is "all about the process," and that he was bringing that to FAU.
The new FAU head coach then complimented his mentor and head coach at the University of Alabama, Nick Saban. Kiffin spoke of how Saban had been great during this entire process of coaching interviews and meetings.
He then spoke of maturing, and learning...that perhaps he had been a little young as a head coach before and he'd know better now how to handle things that come up.
Kiffin did say how important it was for him to get back to Alabama to winning another national championship.
He also said he was very happy at Alabama, but this position offered him a unique opportunity...and that there were a lot of things attractive to him about this job.
Kiffin said he wanted to accomplish something at FAU that they've never accomplished before. He has his sights set high.
Kiffin also said that it was possible that other members of Alabama's staff could be joining him at FAU in "enhanced roles."
So the era of Lane Kiffin is about to end at the University of Alabama and a new one begin for Florida Atlantic University.
Good luck, Lane. God speed.
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Alabama Golf Coaches Inducted Into GCAA Hall Of Fame
Congratulations Jay Seawell & Dick Spybey
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| Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
Nothing quite like being honored for your entire body of work from your chosen profession and leaving a mark on young student-athletes as well as having the recognition of your peers. That has happened for two from the University of Alabama.
Besides Seawell and Spybey, four others were inducted into this elite fraternity, including former Alabama assistant coach and current Baylor
coach Mike McGraw, Vince Clark, Tim Poe and Mike Small.
Seawell has been instrumental in helping to developing well-rounded student-athletes, having coached 31 PING All-Americans during his coaching career. His young charges have been nominated for some of college golf's highest national awards, including the Ben Hogan Award, the Jack Nicklaus Award, the Fred Haskins Award, the Phil Mickelson Award and the Byron Nelson Award. Most recently Justin Thomas took home the Nicklaus, Haskins and Mickelson awards in 2012 and Robby Shelton was the the Mickelson Award winner in 2014.
Seawell and Alabama have placed a total of 77 student-athletes on the SEC Academic Honor Roll in the last 14 years during the coach's tenure at UA, and Seawell has been instrumental into helping eight student-athletes (16 honors) earn Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar accolades.
It began for Seawell at Anderson College, where he coached from 1991-96 and won five consecutive NJCAA Region 10 championship while also earning five Region Coach of the Year awards. He briefly left Anderson but soon returned to coachAnderson again in 1997-98. He was hired by Augusta State as its head coach prior to the start of 1998-99 season. He led ASU to four straight NCAA Regional appearances and three trips to the NCAA Championships. He coached three PING All-Americans during his time at Augusta State.
Spybey did double-duty, so-to-speak, during his time at The Capstone, having served as Alabama women's head coach from 1985-88 and its men's head coach from 1988-2002. He led the Tide to eight regional appearances and advanced to the NCAA finals on four occasions. Spybey was named Dave Williams National Coach of the Year Award recipient in 1992 and was also recognized as GCAA District 3 South Coach of the Year. He was SEC Coach of the Year Awards as both a men's and women's coach, the only individual to win both honors. Spybey also served on the team USA coaching staff for the inaugural Arnold Palmer Cup in 1997.
A total of five of Spybey's golfers earned All-America honors and five received All-America scholar recognition. A total of 16 golfers earned All-SEC honors and 48 were All-SEC Academic Honor Roll recipients.
Spybey served as the GCAA president from 1995-97 and served on the National Advisory Board from 1991-99. He served a two-year term as the GCAA representative on the USGA Committee on Amateurism and was the District 3 South Selection Committee chairman. Spybey has also hosted a number of college tournaments and was tournament director for the 1998 Arnold Palmer Cup held at St. Andrews.
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Complete Listings For 2016 College Football Season
CFP Playoff Games & Bowl Games
College Football Playoff schedule
December 31st
College Football Playoff SemifinalChick-fil-A Peach Bowl
No. 4 Washington vs. No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide
3 p.m., ESPN
Georgia Dome, Atlanta
College Football Playoff Semifinal
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Clemson
7 p.m., ESPN
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
January 9th
College Football Playoff National ChampionshipWinner of No. 4 - No. 1 vs Winner of No. 3 vs No. 2
8 p.m., ESPN
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Complete 2016 Football Season Bowl Schedule
December 17th
Air Force Reserve Celebration BowlNorth Carolina Central vs. Grambling
12 p.m., ABC
Georgia Dome, Atlanta
New Mexico vs. UTSA
2 p.m., ESPN
University Stadium, Albuquerque, N.M.
Las Vegas Bowl Presented by Geico
Houston vs. San Diego State
3:30 p.m., ABC
Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Appalachian State vs. Toledo
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Ala.
AutoNation Cure Bowl
UCF vs. Arkansas State
5:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Southern Mississippi vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
9 p.m., ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
December 19th
Miami Beach BowlCentral Michigan vs. Tulsa
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Marlins Park, Miami
December 20th
Boca Raton BowlMemphis vs. Western Kentucky
7 p.m., ESPN
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Fla.
December 21st
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia BowlBYU vs. Wyoming
9 p.m., ESPN
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
December 22nd
Famous Idaho Potato BowlIdaho vs. Colorado State
7 p.m., ESPN
Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
December 23rd
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl1 p.m., ESPN
Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas
Eastern Michigan vs. Old Dominion
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Louisiana Tech vs. No. 25 Navy
4:30 p.m., ESPN
Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas
Dollar General Bowl
Ohio vs. Troy
8 p.m., ESPN
Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
December 24th
Hawai'i BowlHawai'i vs. Middle Tennessee
8 p.m., ESPN
Aloha Stadium, Honolulu
December 26th
St. Petersburg BowlMiami (Ohio) vs. Mississippi State
11 a.m., ESPN
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Quick Lane Bowl
Maryland vs. Boston College
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Ford Field, Detroit
Camping World Independence Bowl
NC State vs. Vanderbilt
5 p.m., ESPN2
Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La.
December 27th
Zaxby's Heart of Dallas BowlArmy vs. North Texas
12 p.m., ESPN
Cotton Bowl, Dallas
Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman
No. 24 Temple vs. Wake Forest
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Md.
National Funding Holiday Bowl
Minnesota vs. Washington State
7 p.m., ESPN
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
Motel 6 Cactus Bowl
Boise State vs. Baylor
10:15 p.m., ESPN
Chase Field, Phoenix
December 28th
New Era Pinstripe BowlNo. 23 Pittsburgh vs. Northwestern
2 p.m., ESPN
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
Russell Athletic Bowl
No. 16 West Virginia vs. Miami
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
Foster Farms Bowl
Indiana vs. No. 19 Utah
8:30 p.m., Fox
Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.
AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl
Texas A&M vs. Kansas State
9 p.m., ESPN
NRG Stadium, Houston
December 29th
Birmingham BowlSouth Florida vs. South Carolina
2 p.m., ESPN
Legion Field, Birmingham, Ala.
Belk Bowl
Arkansas vs. No. 22 Virginia Tech
5:30 p.m., ESPN
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
Valero Alamo Bowl
No. 12 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 Colorado
9 p.m., ESPN
Alamodome, San Antonio
December 30th
AutoZone Liberty BowlGeorgia vs. TCU
12 p.m., ESPN
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tenn.
Hyundai Sun Bowl
No. 18 Stanford vs. North Carolina
2 p.m., CBS
Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Nebraska vs. No. 21 Tennessee
3:30 p.m., ESPN
Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl
South Alabama vs. Air Force
5:30 p.m., Campus Insiders
Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz.
Capital One Orange Bowl
No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 11 Florida State
8 p.m., ESPN
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
Dec. 31
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
No. 20 LSU vs. No. 13 Louisville
11 a.m., ABCCamping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
TaxSlayer Bowl
Georgia Tech vs. Kentucky
11 a.m., ESPN
EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Fla.
January 2nd
Outback BowlNo. 17 Florida vs. Iowa
1 p.m., ABC
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
No. 15 Western Michigan vs. No. 8 Wisconsin
1 p.m., ESPN
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual
No. 9 USC vs. No. 5 Penn State
5 p.m., ESPN
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
Allstate Sugar Bowl
No. 14 Auburn vs. No. 7 Oklahoma
8:30 p.m., ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
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UA Calendar Of Events This Week
Here are the upcoming athletic events this week featuring the Alabama Crimson Tide:
Thursday, December 15
| 11:30 a.m. CT | Women's Basketball | vs. Georgia State | Coleman Coliseum |
| 7 p.m. CT | Men's Basketball | vs. USC Upstate | Coleman Coliseum |
Saturday, December 17
| 2 p.m. CT | Women's Basketball | vs. Georgia Coleman Coliseum | |
| All Day | Swimming and Diving | Auburn Diving Invitational Auburn, Alabama |
Sunday, December 18
| 3 p.m. CT | Men's Basketball | vs. Clemson Birmingham, Alabama/Legacy Arena | |
| All Day | Swimming and Diving | Auburn Diving Invitational Auburn, Alabama |
