re: Some quick notes on Kris Richard

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BIRMINGHAM - UAB football defensive coordinator David Reeves has been named a nominee for the 2018 Broyles Award, which annually honors college football's top assistant coach.

Reeves is one of 53 nominees that was selected from approximately 1,500 assistant coaches representing 130 Division I programs across the country. The Broyles Award selection process includes the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), a college football Hall of Fame selection committee and current head football coaches.

The committee will select 15 semifinalists and five finalists from the current list of 53 nominees. The five finalists will be invited to Little Rock, Ark. where the 2018 Broyles Award winner will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 4.

Under the direction of Reeves, the UAB defense has been one of the most disruptive units in the country and leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 12.1 points against.

UAB's defense has been especially stingy in Conference USA play, allowing only 38 points in six league games. The Blazers are the only team in the country with three shutouts this year and have held conference opponents scoreless in 19 of 24 quarters.

The Blazers are on the verge of setting the single-season sacks record and enter Week 11 ranked fourth nationally in sacks per game (3.44).

Other lofty national ranks for the UAB defense includes second in third down defense (.227) and fourth down defense (.214), fourth in total defense (271.4) and passing yards allowed (153.6), fifth in red zone defense (.692) and eighth in tackles for loss per game (8.0).

Reeves is one of two Conference USA assistant coaches named a nominee for the 2018 Broyles Award along with offensive coordinator Graham Harrell of North Texas.

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David Reeves enters his third season as defensive coordinator and his fourth year overall at UAB.

In 2018, the Blazers finished ninth nationally in total defense and will go down in history as one of the best defensive units in UAB and Conference USA history.

Reeves’ extraordinary efforts resulted in him being named a semifinalist for the 2018 Broyles Award, which is annually given to the nation’s top assistant coach.

Under his guidance, the Blazers shattered the record book. Along with finishing ninth in total defense (299.2), UAB ranked top 10 nationally in five other statistical categories: second in third down defense (.260), fifth in fourth down defense (.318), fifth in sacks per game (3.43), seventh in scoring defense (17.0) and seventh in tackles for loss per game (7.9).

Additionally, UAB set the school record with 48 sacks and 111 tackles for loss. The Blazers also pitched three shutouts in 2018 which led the nation and they were the first team in Conference USA history to have three shutouts in one season (52-0 vs. Savannah State, 42-0 at Rice, 19-0 at UTEP).

In eight C-USA regular season games, the Blazers only allowed 88 total points, including just 38 total points in their first five games of league play.

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The dominating defense guided UAB to an 11-3 overall record as the Blazers won their first Conference USA Championship in school history, defeating Middle Tennessee 27-25 in the title game. UAB would go on to win their first bowl game with a 37-13 victory over Northern Illinois in the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl.

Reeves was named UAB’s defensive coordinator in June of 2016. Prior to his appointment as the defensive coordinator, Reeves was the Blazers’ defensive line coach since 2014 and stayed with Coach Clark to help rebuild the program during its two-year hiatus.

With Reeves in charge, the 2017 Blazers’ defense jumped up to 5th in Conference USA in total defense and 41st overall nationally.

The team ended the season ranked 22nd in the country in passing yards allowed and 18th in team passing efficiency defense, both of which were good for second in the conference. Due in large part to lockdown corner Darious Williams’ five interceptions and 15 pass breakups, UAB was third in the C-USA in total interceptions with 14 on the season. Williams led C-USA in passes defended (20), pass breakups (15) and interceptions (5).

Williams was a First Team All-Conference USA selection, and Reeves also helped fellow seniors Tevin Crews and Shaq Jones earn All-Conference USA accolades at linebacker.

Crews had a tremendous senior campaign, finishing with a career-high and team best 102 tackles and 12.0 tackles for loss. He was the only player in C-USA to rank in the top 10 in both categories. Jones also had a productive season finishing with 57 total tackles and a team-high 13 TFLs.

The defense especially ramped up when it mattered most, as UAB finished the year ranked 36th in the country (6th in C-USA) in red zone defense and 46th (5th) in third down conversion defense.

In Reeves first season at UAB, he was an integral part of the Blazers’ remarkable turnaround which saw them finish 6-6 after being 2-10 the year prior.

The Blazers improved 44 spots in total defense in 2014, spearheaded by the defensive line. Reeves’ unit helped UAB tally 34 sacks in his first season, which was 16 more than the year before. The Blazers also finished with 81 TFLs with Reeves, a +21 difference from the 2013 campaign.

At the conclusion of 2014, the UAB defense allowed 29.9 points against, which was an average of 14 points better from 2013 when UAB allowed 43.8 points against.

Leading the way for the defensive front was senior end Diaheem Watkins, who was named a First Team All-Conference USA selection for tallying a team-high 10 sacks. Additionally, Interior lineman Chris Walton earned C-USA Honorable Mention.

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