Jaguars hire former UAB tight ends coach Richard Owens
The University of South Alabama has filled another offensive coaching spot. Former UAB tight ends coach Richard Owens has joined the staff, presumably filling the same position.
Owens spent three seasons in Birmingham with the Blazers. He was tight ends coach in 2012 then switched to wide receivers in addition to offensive coordinator. Then under first-year head coach Bill Clark he went back to tight ends as Bryant Vincent assumed offensive coordinator duties.
Prior to UAB, Owens spent two years as a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas where he also worked with the tight ends.
Owens played collegiately at Louisville before a five-year NFL career where he played for the St. Louis Rams, Minnesota Vikings and N.Y. Jets. He appeared in 53 NFL games between 2004-09 and started seven games.
As a redshirt freshman at Louisville he played in all 12 games with three starts adn was selected to the Conference USA All-Freshman team at tight end.
He is a native of Middleburg, FL.
Jaguar Softball #23 in NFCA/USAToday Preseason Poll
The University of South Alabama softball team starts the season ranked in the top 25 for the second consecutive season. On Tuesday, it was announced that the Jaguars were ranked #23 in the NFCA/USAToday Division I Preseason Poll.
The Jaguars finished the season last year ranked #22 after posting a 42-14 (15-6 SBC) record. They finished second in the Sun Belt Conference regular-season standings and appeared in an NCAA Regional final for the third consecutive time.
USA returns 11 letterwinners from last year including eight starters and eight seniors after losing only two to graduation.
South Alabama opens their 2015 schedule against #3 ranked Alabama on February 5. Other notable opponents in the top 25 are: #9 Louisiana-Lafayette and #19 LSU. South Carolina also received votes but not enough to appear in the top 25.
Florida topped the poll for the second time in program history after winning their first-ever Women’s College World Series title last year. Oregon, a semifinalist in the WCWS last year was voted #2 by a narrow margin behind the Gators.
Alabama Director of Player Personnel to join USA staff according to reports
Reports have surfaced that South Alabama head coach Joey Jones will be announcing the hiring of University of Alabama Director of Player Personnel Tyler Siskey to coach wide receivers.
Siskey formerly coached wide receivers at Arkansas State from 2008 to 2011. After ASU he was the Coordinator of Recruiting Development at Ole Miss. He helped the Rebels’ recruiting efforts that landed a top 10 ranked class for 2013. He joined the Alabama staff in March 2013.
Six Former Blazers Begin Classes at USA
New helmets for the 2013 season.
Six former UAB Blazers began a new chapter in their collegiate career on Monday as they began classes at the University of South Alabama.
Quarterbacks Cody Clements and Austin Chipoletti, offensive linemen Lee Dufour and Cameron Blankenship, tight end Gerald Everett and wide receiver-running back D.J. Vinson all have enrolled in classes at USA and will participate in spring practice in a few weeks.
After UAB announced they were ending their football program on December 2, the players began looking for places to continue both their academic and sporting careers. These six, and a few others, committed to South Alabama.
As of Monday, linebacker Kalen Jackson had not enrolled at USA. Quarterback Evan Orth and wide receiver Josh Magee are expected to enroll this summer. Magee is no stranger to USA as he sat out after transferring from Alabama.
Bryant Vincent, who left South Alabama to be the Blazer’s offensive coordinator, rejoined the Jaguar staff prior to USA’s first-ever bowl game. He spent the previous three seasons as the Jaguars quarterbacks coach and will give the players a sense of familiarity for the former UAB student-athletes.
The team welcomed them to their 7am team meeting Monday morning before they departed to their respective classrooms to continue their academic careers at their new home.
Jags add former UAB TE to list enrolling in January
Yet another former UAB Blazer football player has joined the list of players who have said they will enroll at South Alabama in January. Gerald Everett, a 6’3″ 215-pound tight end, will enroll at South Alabama to help fill the Jaguars need at tight end.
He joins a list that includes quarterbacks Cody Clements and Austin Chipoletti, offensive linemen Lee Dufour and Cameron Blankenship and wide receiver/running back D.J. Vinson who have announced their intentions to continue their collegiate careers as Jaguars.
South Alabama is also interested in UAB running back Jordan Howard, who is receiving lots of attention from other schools. He visited campus earlier in the week and was a spectator at one of the Jaguars bowl practices.
Everette came to UAB after playing a season at Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College. He caught 17 passes for 292 yards and a touchdown this season as a Blazer. He will have two years of eligibility remaining as a Jaguar.
USA offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent who returned to South Alabama after one season at the same position at UAB under former USA defensive coordinator Bill Clark. Undoubtedly Vincent’s ties to the players have been key factors in their decisions to enroll at South Alabama.
Jags held final practice prior to Camellia Bowl
South Alabama held their final practice of the season Thursday on the campus of Huntingdon College’s Charles Lee Field in Montgomery in preparation for their first-ever bowl appearance.
The team practiced in shells and went through their gameplan for their opponent, Bowling Green. It was shorter than usual as an attempt to let the team rest some while also keeping the gameplan fresh in the team’s mind.
In something that may have become a tradition for the team, players switched jerseys for the Thursday workouts. For instance Maleki Harris, normally donning number six, was wearing 77 while offensive lineman Chris May was wearing the number eight. Several other player had made switches as well.
“I don’t know when it started but a few years ago on the last day of practice you had a guy, I’m not going to say any names, but he’s 5-foot-4, 162 pounds, wearing a 6-foot-2, 300-pound guy’s jersey,” Jaguar head coach Joey Jones explained to AL.com. “It looked kind of funny and they had to tie it up in the back. It’s fun. … Our guys work and they know the priorities and they’re going to work hard. And if they’re going to work their tails off and still have fun, I’m good with it.”
After practice both South Alabama and Bowling Green visited the Rosa Parks Museum, at different times.
On Friday, USA president Tony Waldrop along with members of the USA Board of Trustees and executive administration will volunteer at the Montgomery Area Food Back from 2-4pm. USA volunteers along with Southpaw, will help prepare food for distribution at the warehouse in Montgomery and they will all be dressed in Jaguar athletic jerseys.
Jags final practice in Mobile; JUCO signing day
Photos: usajaguars.com
South Alabama closed out their final practice at home on Tuesday morning and, in what has become a tradition at USA, the underclassmen carried the seniors off the practice field following the team’s final home practice.
The team then loaded buses and arrived in Montgomery Tuesday afternoon to finish out their preparations in Montgomery for Saturday’s bowl game.
The Jaguars will practice at Huntingdon College on Wednesday and Thursday then have a walk-through session at the Cramton Bowl on Friday. But they will also be participating in some of the bowl festivities leading up to the game.
In the midst of all of this, Wednesday is the first day that Junior College transfers can sign National Letter of Intent’s. In what may be their best recruiting year ever for this young team, they expect to sign up to five JuCo players today.
Tight end James Bynes of Dodge City (Kansas) Community College, defensive back Quinton Lane of Itawamba (Mississippi) Community College and wide receiver Tyrone Williams of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College are among the student-athletes expected to sign.
Three UAB players have announced their intentions to enroll at South Alabama in January with more of their teammates expected to join them. Offensive linemen Lee Dufour, Cameron Blankenship and quarterback Austin Chipoletti have all announced their intentions. A twitter account bearing the name of UAB quarterback Cody Clements said he was transfering to USA, but it is uncertain if that is true.
Head coach Joey Jones and defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Brian Turner are looking to fill needs. Turner told AL.com that they are looking to sign up to five JUCO players and possibly add more to that list depending on the UAB situation. The five players they are targeting are for positions where they need help immediately.
The hiring of Bryant Vincent seems to have sparked more excitement in the offense. Quarterback Brandon Bridge said he was very pleased with the pace of the offense since Vincent took over. Even coach Jones said that there has been a different feel in practices recently.
So much focus has been on the change on the offensive side of the ball, but the Jaguar defense will be tested as well. Bowling Green leads the country in how quickly it can transition from one play to the next of offense. This has created challenges for defenses all season and it will be something the Jags must be prepared for.
Communication will be key. There may be times when coaches cannot get the call in quickly enough and the players must be able to identify certain formations and be able to communicate that to their teammates so they can check into certain coverages or defensive fronts.
The excitement for the bowl game and the good practices the team has had over the last few days should have every fan excited. This will be the Jaguars time to shine in their first-ever prime time national television broadcast.
South Alabama and Bowling Green kick off at 8:15pm on Saturday in Montgomery for the Raycom Camellia Bowl at the Cramton Bowl. USA has sold out of their allotment of tickets. If you do not have your tickets yet, you better get them quick. They are selling quickly with reports of only a “few hundred” left.
Camellia Bowl Ticket allotment sold out; Coach Jones announces uniform selection
Two announcements on Monday concerning the Jaguars first-ever bowl game.
Monday morning an email went out announced that there were only 50 tickets remaining in the Jaguars allotment for the Camellia Bowl. But sometime before noon they were sold out.
On the Joey Jones radio show, Coach Jones announced that the team will be wearing their Jungle Smoke uniforms. This will be the second time they have worn them with the first being against Navy on November 28.
Jaguars receive verbal from UAB Center
South Alabama continued their preparation for the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl on Saturday when they hosted several members of the UAB football team. They were all viewing the Jaguars facilities and the practice session as they consider their options for continuing their playing careers.
While coaches are not allowed to talk about prospects, such as the ones from UAB, until they are enrolled in classes. But at least two have publicly announced that they are transferring to South Alabama.
UAB freshman center Lee Dufour received a scholarship offer and announced this intention to enroll at USA in January. Dufour is a Saraland native and is eager to return close to home, which was a big factor in his decision.
A twitter account for UAB quarterback Cody Clements, who has one year of eligibility remaining, announced that he would be transferring to South Alabama. This has not been verified. This would reunite him with his offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Bryant Vincent from this past season if it’s true.
This may not be the only student-athletes who choose to transfer to South Alabama. Check back for updates throughout this process.
Vincent returns to USA as Offensive Coordinator
Quarterbacks coach Bryant Vincent during preseason camp in 2012. Vincent returns to South Alabama, this time as offensive coordinator, after filling that same position at UAB under former Jaguar defensive coordinator Bill Clark for one season until the UAB program was disbanded recently.
After much speculation after former offensive coordinator Robert Matthews was dismissed, including reports earlier in the week that Bryant Vincent had already been hired, it was officially announced the Vincent will return to South Alabama as the Jaguars new offensive coordinator.
Vincent filled the same position at UAB this season and led one of the nations biggest offensive turnarounds. Previous to his one-year stint at UAB he was at South Alabama for three seasons where, in his first season, he coached tight ends before spending the next two seasons coaching quarterbacks. Before joining the Jaguars staff he was the head coach at Spanish Fort High School where he led the Toros to a state championship.
In addition to being the offensive coordinator, Vincent will coach the quarterbacks.
His first and only season as an offensive coordinator at UAB, the Blazers averaged 431.8 yards per game and 212.1 yards rushing while averaging 33.2 points per game. UAB was bowl eligible for the first time since 2004 before the decision to shut down the football program was made. The Blazers scored 40+ points on five occasions and enters the bowl season ranked in the top 40 nationally in four different statistical categories including rushing offense (33), scoring offense (37), completion percentage (32) and third-down conversions (40).
Four Blazers would earn all-Conference honors from the offense including first-team selection Jordan Howard who finished seventh in the nation in rushing and 20th in rushing touchdowns after putting up 1,587 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“Bryant Vincent is a complete football coach. He’s a great recruiter, a great motivator and has a very good offensive mind,” head coach Joey Jones said of Vincent. “He went up to UAB and did extremely well, they were scoring a lot of points including 34 against Mississippi State; watching them play, you could see they had an explosive offense. It’s great to have him back.”
“I’m very excited to be back. In my opinion South Alabama is a gold mine, it’s a first-class university with first-class people and facilities,” Vincent said. “Coach Jones has done a great job building this program from the ground up, I’m really excited to be a part of it again and hope to help build on the momentum that has been established here.
“Offensively, we want to play fast with a true fast tempo, we want to be able to stretch the field vertically, have a power running game, and be able to get the ball out on the perimeter and down the field. We want to put the ball in our playmakers’ hands in space and let them make plays.”
Vincent is scheduled to be back with the staff for today’s practice and will be part of the team for the Jaguars bowl game against Bowling Green on Saturday, December 20.