DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 3 INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS CONTENTS A Letter from the Director ……………………………………………… 2 Individual Honors ………………………………………………………… 60 Intercollegiate Athletics Committee ……………………………………… 3 Student Welfare …………………………………………………………… 66 National and SEC Team Titles ………………………………………… 4-5 Community Outreach ……………………………………………………… 68 Individual National Championships …………………………………… 6-7 Facilities …………………………………………………………………… 70 2015-16 National Awards ……………………………………………… 8-9 Attendance ………………………………………………………………… 74 Academic Excellence ………………………………………………… 10-12 Marketing and Licensing ………………………………………………… 75 Academic Honors …………………………………………………… 13-17 Athletics Communications ………………………………………………… 76 Individual Sport Highlights ………………………………………… 18-59 RollTide.com ……………………………………………………………… 78 Baseball ………………………………………………………………18 The Total Program: All Sports Rankings ………………………………… 79 Men’s Basketball ……………………………………………………20 Excellence in Women’s Athletics ………………………………………… 80 Women’s Basketball …………………………………………………22 Compliance ………………………………………………………………… 82 The 2015 SEC Football Champions ………………………………… 24 Staff ……………………………………………………………………… 83 The Cotton Bowl Champions ……………………………………… 26 Crimson Tide Foundation ………………………………………………… 84 The 2015 CFP National Champions …………………………………28 A-Club Alumni Association ……………………………………………… 86 Football ………………………………………………………………30 2016-17 Head Coaches …………………………………………………… 88 Men’s Golf ……………………………………………………………32 The 2016 SEC Women’s Golf Champions ………………………… 34 Women’s Golf ………………………………………………………36 Gymnastics ……………………………………………………………38 Rowing ………………………………………………………………40 Soccer …………………………………………………………………42 Softball ………………………………………………………………44 Swimming and Diving ……………………………………………… 46 Men’s Tennis …………………………………………………………48 Women’s Tennis ………………………………………………………50 Track and Field/Cross Country …………………………………… 52 Volleyball ……………………………………………………………58 ANNUAL REPORT 2015-2016 1 TO ALL WHO FOLLOW AND CHEER ON THE ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE, What an absolutely spectacular year for The University of Alabama Crimson Tide! Throughout the 2015-16 academic year, our student-athletes, coaches and staff strove for greatness each and every day, which led to championships, both team and individual, and inspired performances in all areas of the collegiate experience. It all started in the fall as our football team battled their way into the second College Football Playoff, becoming the only team to play in both years of the new system, and winning our 25th Southeastern Conference football title along the way. Our men followed their SEC title with a dominating win in the CFP semifi nals over Michigan State and fi nished things off with an instant classic against Clemson, closing out the Tigers 45-40, to earn our fourth national football championship in the past seven seasons. It was also our 10th national title in fi ve different sports since the fall of 2009. We went on to earn a trio of top-10 NCAA fi nishes over the winter and spring, including men’s swimming and diving, gymnastics and softball. Our women’s golf team also won their third SEC championship since 2010. In all, four of our programs fi nished in the top 10 – football (1st, our 16th national football title), gymnastics (3rd, marking an NCAA-best 23rd top-3 fi nish), men’s swimming and diving (6th, our highest NCAA fi nish since 1983) and softball (6th, after earning our 11th Women’s College World Series berth). We had three additional teams earn top-25 fi nishes, with women’s golf fi nishing 12th and men’s golf taking 23rd while women’s track and fi eld fi nished 17th at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Individually, our student-athletes continue to rank among the nation’s very best. Derrick Henry became our second Heisman Trophy winner in LIVING addition to earning a slew of national and conference honors. Quanesha Burks won her second NCAA long jump title while Connor Oslin, Pavel Romanov, Luke Kaliszak and Kristian Gkolomeev combined to win the NCAA 200 medley relay, the fi rst swimming relay title in school history. Katie Bailey fi nished off her junior season by winning our 26th individual NCAA gymnastics title, taking top honors on the vault. OUR Our men and women also shone brightly in the classroom. We became the fi rst school in the history of the award to earn Academic All-American of the Year honors in three different sports with Haylie McCleney (softball) earning her second such honor and Lauren Beers (gymnastics) and Anton McKee (swimming and diving) earning the honor for the women’s and men’s at-large teams. Those three were joined by seven additional Crimson Tide Academic All-Americans in 2015-16, giving us double-digit honorees in back-to-back-to-back years as well as the best three-year total among all MISSION Division I programs! There are countless factors that go into The University of Alabama Athletics Department’s ongoing tradition Haylie was also the SEC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the Senior CLASS Award winner for softball while Lauren was the SEC Community of excellence and our legacy of champions, but at the end Service Leader of the Year and earned her third consecutive NCAA Elite 90 Award. of the day, our success is built on the foundation of our continuing mission to: We accomplished all this and so much more while staying true to our ongoing mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes to compete at • Recruit and develop student- the highest levels in intercollegiate athletics; educating and preparing our student-athletes to compete at the highest levels in life after graduation; and athletes to compete at the accomplishing all this with honor and integrity. highest levels in intercollegiate Our student-athletes are able to reach the heights they do because they are not only supported by the best coaches and staff in the nation, but also by athletics; our legendary fans. I can’t overstate the importance that our fan support makes in what we do. • Educate and prepare our student-athletes to compete at I also can’t overstate how much the fi nancial support our fanbase provides means to our overall success. Projects such as the recently transformed the highest levels in life after Sewell-Thomas Baseball Stadium and the newly renovated Jerry Pate Center for our golf teams have helped keep all our facilities at the forefront of graduation; collegiate athletics. That type of support is crucial to our success and we need everyone’s help in maintain our edge in this area. • Accomplish all this with honor It is an amazing gift to be a part of the Crimson Tide at this extraordinary point in our history, and it’s one that I don’t take for granted. I am moved and integrity. beyond words at the amazing pride our entire department and all those who follow the Crimson Tide have in the hard work, dedication and fi erce There are no shortcuts when it comes to building a determination our student-athletes pour into their efforts to lead the way athletically, academically and in the community. championship program, but for the Crimson Tide, the road map is clear cut. All this is why, as proud as I am of what we have accomplished, I can’t wait to see what is next for Alabama. I hope everyone who is a part of our singular legacy of champions and tradition of excellence will join together in keeping us moving in the right direction, because as I’ve said many -Bill Battle times, a rising tide lifts all ships! Roll TTide,idide,e, Bill BattlBattlee Director of Athletics University of Alabama 2 INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS COMMITTEE DUTIES THE 2015-16 ICA COMMITTEE Assist the President in the formulation of policy for intercollegiate REPORTING CHANNEL: Dr. Stuart Bell, President athletics. In carrying out its duties, the committee shall provide Membership oversight for all aspects of the intercollegiate athletics program. James King, Chair Associate Professor, Management 2018 Oversight shall include but not be limited to: the Athletics Michele Montgomery Associate Professor, Nursing 2017 Department’s mission statement; periodic review of Student- Rona Donahoe Professor, Geological Sciences 2016 Athletes Handbook, Compliance Manual; compliance with NCAA David Cordes Professor and Department Head, CS 2018 and SEC rules and regulations; academic services, admissions Robert McLeod Professor, College of Commerce 2016 profi les and graduation rates; fi nancial affairs; gender equity and Faculty Senate Representative equal opportunity policies and practices; coach/student-athlete Ed Stephenson Professor, Biological Sciences relationships and discipline; competitive event scheduling; student- Professional Staff Assembly Representative athlete exit interviews; and general reputation of the athletics Darrell Hargreaves Coordinator of Intramural Sports, University Recreation program. OCT Staff Assembly Representative Dianne Gilbert Assistant Registrar, C&BA COMPOSITION This committee, appointed by the President, shall consist of 11 Retired Faculty/Staff Member voting members: a total of six faculty, including the Faculty Senate Rodney Roth Representative and the Faculty Athletics Representative (who serves Student Athlete Representatives as chair), a Professional Staff Assembly representative, an OCT Travis Kerner President, Student-Athlete Advisory Board Staff Assembly representative, a retired faculty/staff representative, Lauren Beers Student-Athlete Advisory Board Secretary/Treasurer two student athlete representatives (one male and one female). In Ex Offi cio addition, there will be nine ex offi cio members: Director of Alumni