Former UAB head coach Bill Clark took to Birmingham TV station WVTM on Tuesday to preview the 2024 college football season, giving his opinions on the Blazers, the Crimson Tide, the Tigers, and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks.
Clark, who led UAB back from shutdown in 2017 and won two conference championships with the program, maintains a longstanding relationship with former Alabama coach Nick Saban.
“I’ve known Coach Saban for years and years. When I was a high school coach he recruited my guys. A few times I almost went to work [at Alabama]. So there was this really good relationship,” Clark said. “Obviously he had Alabama and Tuscaloosa to worry about, and I had Birmingham and UAB to worry about, but he usually spoke at my clinic every year, so there was always a good relationship.”
Although he acknowledges the void Saban’s retirement leaves on the sidelines, Clark is optimistic about DeBoer’s chances to succeed at Alabama.
“Well, the thing that I like about [DeBoer] — we don’t really know each other personally — but he has worked his way up,” said Clark. “I always talk about, ‘give me somebody that’s won everywhere they’ve been.’ And I think he’s that guy.”
“There’s no way to prepare a guy for football in the state of Alabama, [especially with] who he’s replacing,” Clark added. “There’s no way to know exactly what he’s about to go through. It’s going to be hard. But he’s a really good coach with great everything: great facilities and great players already. It’s going to be tough to maintain the standard they’ve already created, but he’s a good coach.”
Clark also praised Alabama’s hiring of new defensive coordinator Kane Wommack.
“I think [Alabama] is going to be right there,” Clark said. “It’s going to be interesting to see how all of those pieces come together. I think [DeBoer] is a proven great offensive coach. I know Kane Wommack. You’re going into high expectations defensively, I know he’s a good coach.”
Clark went on to express optimism about UAB, Auburn, and Jacksonville State’s seasons, and noted the feeling of pride that washes over him whenever he drives by Birmingham’s Protective Stadium, built in the wake of the success of his Blazer teams.
“I know how many people came together to make that happen,” said Clark. “It was such a — and I’ve said this so many times — it was such a team effort to make that happen. But whether we’re talking about UAB games or we’re talking about high school championships there, it’s such an iconic place. We did it right, it was done right, so it’s very cool and I’m very proud of them.”
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