After a record-setting 2021-22 season, the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees approved a contract extension for UAB men’s basketball head coach Andy Kennedy.
“Andy has raised the level of interest in UAB Basketball around our community,” said Director of Athletics Mark Ingram. “He has done everything he said that he would, including winning a conference championship and getting back to the NCAA Tournament.
“Our fans and university deserve to have a championship program, and I’m proud to know that it will continue to be led by Andy Kennedy.”
The new agreement is a six-year deal that extends Kennedy through the 2027-28 season. His compensation will be $900,000 in base salary with an annual increase of $100,000 per year over the life of the term, plus incentive compensation for postseason play and exceptional performances.
“I so appreciate the opportunity I was afforded in March 2020 to become the head basketball coach at my alma mater,” Kennedy said. “I’d like to thank Dr. Watts, Mark Ingram and the Alabama System Board of Trustees for their continued support of our mission to return Blazer Basketball back to a nationally respected program.
“Forty-Nine wins, a conference championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament are definitively steps in the right direction! Join us on this journey; We are just getting started.”
Kennedy, who led UAB to a program-record 27 victories and the Blazers’ 16th NCAA Tournament appearance this past season, holds a 49-15 record in his first two seasons back at his alma mater. On March 12, he also led the Blazers to their sixth conference tournament title in program history when UAB defeated Louisiana Tech 82-73 in the Conference USA Championship Game. The win punched Kennedy’s third trip to the NCAA Tournament as a head coach (2013, 2015 and 2022).
Kennedy’s 49 wins in his first two seasons as UAB’s head coach are the most in program history, surpassing Mike Anderson’s previous record of 43. His 39-11 record through his first 50 games at UAB is also a UAB men’s basketball coaching record.
In 2021-22, the Blazers led Conference USA in scoring offense for the first time in program history and averaged more than 80 points per game for the first time since 1991, which was Kennedy’s senior year as a player at UAB when he led Conference USA with 21.8 points per game (UAB single-season record).
Individually in 2021-22, Kennedy guided multiple Blazers to all-conference honors for the first time since 2015-16. Jordan Walker (First Team), Quan Jackson (Third Team) and KJ Buffen (Honorable Mention) all earned all-conference offers this past season. Walker highlighted the group of UAB honorees with Conference USA Player of the Year, C-USA Newcomer of the Year and First Team NABC District 11 honors in 2021-22.
The Blazers also finished with their highest NET ranking (No. 46) in program history and won 17 games over conference opponents for the first time in UAB men’s basketball’s 44-year history. UAB ranked inside the Top 55 in the NET the entire season, reaching its highest NET ranking in program history (No. 28) on Dec. 13. The Blazers also reached their highest KenPom ranking in program history (No. 36) on Feb. 9.
Jordan Walker, Trey Jemison, Tavin Lovan and KJ Buffen, all key contributors to UAB’s Conference USA Tournament championship run in March, will return for the Blazers in 2022-23.
UAB also added seven new Blazers to the 2022-23 roster, five of which were from the transfer portal. Eric Gaines (LSU), Javian Davis (Mississippi State), Ledarrius and Ty Brewer (ETSU), and Tyler Bertram (Binghamton) comprise the five student-athletes UAB and Kennedy have added through the transfer portal since March 30. The Blazers also added in-state high school standout Efrem Johnson and walk-on Seth Sigmon to the 2022-23 roster.
