Bill Clark will no longer be part of the UAB Blazers football program by the beginning of August. The 54-year-old head coach recently announced his retirement, effective Aug. 1. He said he’s stepping down due to “longstanding back issues” and revealed the move was the hardest decision he ever had to make. Bryant Vincent, the team’s offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, will be the team’s interim head coach for the 2022 season.
“I will not officially retire until August 1,” Clark wrote in a post on Twitter. Bryant Vincent will serve as the Interim Head Coach and David Reeves will be the Assistant Head Coach. I am recommending to President Ray Watts and Athletic Director Mark Ingram that Coach Vincent and Coach Reeves continue in those roles and the rest of the staff remain in tact for the 2022 season.”
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Clark has been the UAB head coach since 2014. The team didn’t play in 2015 and 2016 as the school president, Ray L. Watts shut down the program to save money. In his six seasons at UAB, Clark posted a 49-26 record and led the Blazers to five bowl games. Additionally, Clark led UAB to two Conference USA West titles and two Conference USA Championships. He was named Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2017 and won the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award in 2018.
“As for me, I am stepping down, but I am not walking away,” he said. “UAB football, the University and the city of Birmingham mean too much to me. My roots and my heart are here, and they will stay here. My future isn’t completely clear, but I will remain active in causes I hold dear, including the Children’s Harbor football game and the CoachSafely Foundation. I will be a champion for UAB and Birmingham, doing what I can to further their incredible progress.”
Before landing the job at UAB, Clark was the coach at Jacksonville State in 2013 and led the team to the FCS quarterfinals after posting an 11-4 record. From 1999-2007, Clark was the head coach at Prattville High School in Alabama and led the team to back-to-back state championships in 2006 and 2007.
