Football tops TideSports' ranking of Alabama athletics for 2015-16
Football is king at the University of Alabama, and that proved true again in the 2015-16 school year. The Crimson Tide won yet another national championship on the football field, so it's only fitting that the football program would also rank No. 1 among all UA athletic teams.
TideSports' annual ranking once again finds football on top as determined by a vote of the site staff, which ranked Alabama's 19 athletic teams against each other to determine which had the best (and worst) seasons. The football team won not only the national title, but also the SEC championship, and was a unanimous top pick.
Gymnastics, which came close to winning SEC and national titles, was ranked second-best among UA athletic teams, with softball a close third. Women's golf, which won an SEC championship, came in fourth, ahead of both men's swimming and diving and men's golf, which both had impressive finishes at the national level.
While the top Alabama athletic teams were strong during the past school year, the bottom had exceptionally poor showings: UA soccer and women's tennis teams finished dead last (14th) in the SEC, and the rowing team was seventh among eight teams in the Big 12.
In the middle of the pack, there was little separation in the voting, with the volleyball and women's track and field teams tying for ninth place and a three-way tie between baseball, men's basketball and tennis for 12th place.
1. Football
Coach: Nick Saban
Overall record: 14-1
SEC record: 7-1
SEC finish: First
National finish: First
2. Gymnastics
Coach: Dana Duckworth
Overall record: 8-5
SEC record: 3-4
SEC finish: Second
National finish: Third at NCAA Championships
3. Softball
Coach: Patrick Murphy
Overall record: 51-14
SEC record: 17-8
SEC finish: Fifth
National finish: Sixth
4. Women's Golf
Coach: Mic Potter
SEC finish: First
National finish: 12th at NCAA Championships
5. Men's Swimming and Diving
Coach: Dennis Pursley
Overall record: 4-1
SEC record: 2-1
SEC finish: Fourth
National finish: Sixth at NCAA Championships
6. Men's Golf
Coach: Jay Seawell
SEC finish: 11th
National finish: 23rd at NCAA Championships
7. Women's Swimming and Diving
Coach: Dennis Pursley
Overall record: 3-2
SEC record: 1-3
SEC finish: 10th
National finish: 28th at NCAA Championships
8. Men's Track and Field
Coach: Dan Waters
Indoor finish: Sixth in SEC, 64th at NCAA Championships
Outdoor: Third in SEC, 64th at NCAA Championships
9. (tie) Volleyball
Coach: Ed Allen
Overall record: 17-15
SEC record: 11-7
SEC finish: Fifth
9. (tie) Women's Track and Field
Coach: Dan Waters
Indoor finish: Eighth in SEC, 17th at NCAA Championships
Outdoor finish: Sixth in SEC, 29th at NCAA Championships
11. Women's Cross Country
Coach: Dan Waters
SEC finish: Fourth
National finish: Third at NCAA South Regional
12. (tie) Baseball
Coach: Mitch Gaspard (resigned at end of season)
Overall record: 32-26
SEC record: 15-15
SEC finish: Fifth in West, ninth overall
12. (tie)Men's Basketball
Coach: Avery Johnson
Overall record: 18-5
SEC record: 8-10
SEC finish: 10th
National finish: First round NIT
12. (tie) Men's Tennis
Coach: George Husack
Overall record: 14-13
SEC record: 5-7
SEC finish: Eighth
15. Men's Cross Country
Coach: Dan Waters
SEC finish: Ninth
National finish: Sixth at NCAA South Regional
16. Women's Basketball
Coach: Kristy Curry
Overall record: 15-16
SEC record: 4-12
SEC finish: 12th
National finish: First round Women's NIT
17. Rowing
Coach: Larry Davis
Finish: Seventh in Big Twelve
18. Soccer
Coach: Wes Hart
Overall record: 5-12-2
SEC record: 2-9
SEC finish: 14th
19. Women's Tennis
Coach: Jenny Mainz
Overall record: 5-18
SEC record: 0-13
SEC finish: 14th