BlazerSportsReport.com - Baseball Search Focuses On Shoop

June 10, 2006

Jack Williams
BlazerSportsReport.com Publisher

Baseball Search Focuses On Shoop

Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News has reported that the search for a new baseball coach at UAB is focused on Brian Shoop currently the head baseball coach at Birmingham Southern College. According to Scarbinsky UAB administrators have spoken with Shoop and he is their first choice for the Blazer job.

The UAB job came open when former head coach Larry Giangrossa stepped down as the Blazer coach just over a week ago. The News confirmed mid-week that UAB had indeed received permission from Birmingham Southern Athletic Director Joe Dean, Jr. to discuss the vacancy with Shoop.

Shoop, who has been at BSC for 16 years has an overall record of 656-281-1. Four years ago BSC, under the leadership of former President Neal Berte moved from the NAIA to NCAA Division I. The Panthers were a member of the Big South Conference and in four years of NCAA Division I play under Shoop BSC's record was 145-78. Birmingham Southern won the Big South regular season title in 2004 and again in 2006. In 2004 the Panthers finished second in the Big South Tournament and were invited to the NCAA regional tournament in Athens, Georgia.

Birmingham Southern announced two weeks ago they were dropping Division I sports and moving to Division III. The move was necessary due to current BSC President David Pollack's inability to raise the money needed to maintain a Division I program and a top flight academic program. Some close to the BSC situation are wondering openly why Pollack is unable to handle the same responsibilities his predecessor Neal Berte handled with such grace, class and seeming ease.

Shoop is a native of Columbus, Ohio and a graduate of Malone College where he attended on a Baseball Scholarship. He is a former graduate assistant and an assistant coach at Mississippi State from 1983 ? 1989. While there the Bulldogs won three SEC championships.

Blazersportsreport.com has confirmed through outside sources that the News reports are accurate and that an answer should be coming the first of next week, possibly as early as Monday.

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