Sidney Ball finds comfort zone at UAB
As a basketball player, Sidney Ball's career followed a familiar path. He was a star at Hillcrest High School, finishing in 1999 and earning a Division I scholarship. He became a solid contributor at UAB, part of a Blazer team that upset Kentucky and made the Sweet 16 in 2004. The next logical step was professional basketball.
"I tried to do a stint over in Germany but it just didn't work out," Ball recalled earlier this week. "But I still wanted to be a role model. I wanted to show that you could be an athlete, then go on to be a success without being a pro."
That's a little different than the normal message, but Ball embraced it. He came back from overseas and took a job in Youth Services with the city of Birmingham, "doing what I could to help families, to help young people." He enjoyed the work, but the love for college basketball never quite went away.
"I thought I could help in a different way, so I went into academic counseling," he said. He spent six years in athletic academics at UAB, his alma mater. He went on to academic work at Georgia State and Mississippi State, assisting not only with basketball players but with all student-athletes. But he never lost touch with basketball and finally decided to try to get back on the court as a full-time Division I assistant coach.
"It's what I always wanted to do, but I knew I was coming at it from a different direction," Ball said. "Then Coach (Scott) Padgett gave me a chance."
That chance was at Samford University, a school where a young coach with strong local ties and an academic background fit in well. Samford rarely gets the attention in a state obsessed with Alabama and Auburn, sharing a city with UAB. But the Bulldogs are increasing their profile, Ball says, and want to do it with a local flavor. They won't be recruiting head-to-head with the Crimson Tide, Tigers and Blazers -- but they do want to occupy a niche with in-state prospects.
"Samford is a great school, a great academic school," Ball said. "We stress that. Tuition is $40,000 a year but if you play basketball, it's free. Over four years, that's $160,000 invested in your future. We say to use those four years to set up your next 40."
On the court, Ball says three years of rebuilding is "about to pay off" for Samford. The Bulldogs will have three SEC transfers on campus, including one familiar face to Alabama fans. Justin Coleman has to sit out this season, but should start for the Bulldogs in 2017.
"Signing Justin was huge for us," Ball said. "He's played against such high-level competition. He spent a year learning under Coach Avery (Johnson) that will help him. And he means instant recognition in Birmingham. He'll put people in the seats for us.
"We want to send a message to Birmingham, that we want a good relationship with the high schools."
Ball's message contains a strong dose of local pride, part of the reason he wants to make sure and reconnect with fans who fondly recall his Hillcrest days.
"I've lived 17 years in Duncanville, then most of the next 17 in Birmingham," he said. "I consider them both as home. That's why this is such a good position for me, so I can give back to the state."
Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil@tidesports.com or 205-722-0225.
