If you thought the shutting down of the UAB football program was already messy enough, think again. Former UAB head coach Garrick McGee reportedly knew about the realistic possibility of shutting down the Blazers program in 2013, and he was told to keep quiet about the discussions.
McGee’s comments on the UAB situation came through a private Twitter conversation with an anonymous UAB supporter, but the screen shots of the conversation have gone public. You can see the images of the conversation, which took place just before Thanksgiving of last fall, via Underdog Dynasty.
Asked if he was tipped off about the plan to shut down the program while still the head coach of the Blazers, McGee replied “Yes.” McGee was let go as head coach at the end of the 2013 season, and in January he joined the Louisville coaching staff as an offensive coordinator. In the Twitter exchange, McGee suggested the Alabama board was conducting a significant coverup. Following the conversation, McGee shows some regret sharing as much information as he had, although it appears his intentions were nothing but supportive of the football program continuing.
Personally, I view information exchanged via Twitter direct messages as being off the record. I would never share information I am given when that conversation takes place through direct messages, unless given permission to use it as I wish. So I can only imagine McGee shared that information with the expectation it would have remained private. That was not the case, although whether his opinions and information would have changed anything is unlikely.
The damage appears to have been done and no coach, past or present, was going to change that.