It was a monumental day on Friday for the UAB men’s basketball program as the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees approved a contract extension for head coach Andy Kennedy along with the final stage of the new men’s and women’s basketball practice facility.
“I’d like to thank our Board of Trustees for their continued support of our drive towards excellence in everything we do. I can’t imagine a better fit for UAB than Andy Kennedy,” said Director of Athletics Mark Ingram. “In our very first meeting, he said he wanted to win the conference championship in year one. That tenacity and drive excited me and has excited our fans. We believe in Andy and are excited about the future under his leadership.”
The new agreement is a six-year deal that extends Kennedy through the 2026-27 season. Kennedy’s compensation will be $725,000 per season over the life of the term, plus incentive compensation for postseason play and exceptional performances.
“I would like to thank Dr. Watts, Mark Ingram and the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for their continued belief in me, my staff and the direction of our program,” said Kennedy.
“UAB is my school and Birmingham is my home. Year one, amidst circumstances none of us have ever encountered, we took a definitive step in restoring UAB Basketball to ‘The Bartow Standard.’ Now, as the world slowly begins to blossom from this global pandemic, we can’t wait to have Bartow Arena rocking next season as we continue our quest to re-establish Blazer Basketball to its rightful place within the landscape of college basketball.”
Kennedy, who was named the seventh head coach of the UAB men’s basketball program on March 20, 2020, guided the Blazers to 22 victories in his first season at the helm of his alma mater. The 22 wins was the most for any UAB first-year head coach. He led the Blazers to 13 Conference USA wins, which was the most in the league. The Blazers received a first round bye at the 2021 Conference USA Championship, advancing to the semifinal round.
UAB got off to its best start in program history, winning its first seven games. The Blazers received votes in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll after beginning the year 16-2 for the first time since the 2009-10 season. UAB achieved its highest NET ranking in program history on Jan. 15, 2021 at 48 and finished with its best KenPom ranking since 2010-11.
As a team, UAB had one of the best defensive units in the country, finishing the year fourth in the NCAA in scoring defense, allowing only 60.3 points per game.
Additionally, the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees approved the final phase for the new men’s and women’s basketball practice facility on Friday, April 9.
The project, which will be a renovation of the current Physical Education Building, includes two full-length practice courts, coaches offices, locker rooms and players’ lounges for both programs.
With the final approval of the practice facility, construction will start in May and will take 9-12 months to complete.
Kennedy signs new 6-yr deal at UAB
