Crimson Column presented by Mercedes-Benz
12/20/2018 12:25:00 PM | General
Happy Holidays from Alabama Athletics
From all of us here in Alabama Athletics, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. We're thankful to have you as part of the Crimson Tide and wish you all the joys of the season and happiness throughout the coming year.
Welcome Lindsey Devine
We are thrilled to welcome Lindsey Devine as our next head volleyball coach. Coach Devine comes to Tuscaloosa after a successful 16-year stint as head coach at East Tennessee State where she was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year twice in the last three seasons and helped the Buccaneers to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances in 2017 and 2018.
C.M. Newton to be Honored on Friday at Men's Basketball Game
During Friday's men's basketball game against Penn State, we will recognize the life of basketball legend, C.M. Newton. Coach Newton's remarkable career included serving The University of Alabama as head men's basketball coach from 1968 to 1980. When he passed away in June of this year, several individuals reached out to help create a scholarship in memory of Coach Newton. To date, over $160,000 has been raised to create the C.M. Newton Memorial Scholarship supporting Alabama men's basketball. In addition to generous Alabama Basketball supporters, contributions were also made by some notable coaches including Rick Pitino, Billy Donovan and former Alabama men's basketball head coach Anthony Grant. Coach Newton's legacy will always be part of Alabama Basketball and we are grateful for those who contributed to create a scholarship in his memory. Follow this link if you would like to contribute to the scholarship in memory of Coach C.M. Newton.
Track & Field Adds Another Trophy to the Case
Our track & field program was honored in San Antonio on Tuesday at the USTFCCCA Coaches' Convention with the 2017-18 John McDonnell NCAA Division I Men's Program of the Year Award. Congratulations, again, to our student-athletes, coaches and staff on this well-deserved honor!
College Football Playoff Giving Challenge
The four universities participating in the College Football Playoff semifinals are also competing in a Giving Challenge that will begin on Wednesday, December 26 and conclude on Saturday, December 29. Whether you are making the trip down to Miami for the Capital One Orange Bowl or watching at home with friends and family, this is your chance to get in on the action.
The Giving Challenge is based on participation, so every gift matters. Donations contributed during the Giving Challenge will benefit the Crimson Tide Scholarship Fund (CTSF), which provides much needed annual scholarship support for our student-athletes.
We already know that Alabama has the most passionate, generous fans and by winning the Giving Challenge, we can prove it. As you are making your year-end giving plans, please consider supporting the Crimson Tide Scholarship Fund during the Giving Challenge. Visit crimsontidefoundation.org/GivingChallenge to make your gift or for more information. For Giving Challenge updates, follow the Crimson Tide Foundation at @UACTF.
Congrats, Grads!
We're so proud of the more than 30 of our student-athletes who earned their degrees this past semester. That total incudes 15 who have already been part of a national championship in football as well as an Olympian, an individual NCAA Champion, seven All-Americans, three Academic All-Americans and an MLB pitcher. That tally also includes six who earned master's degrees, 27 receiving their bachelor's and one, soccer's Emma Welch, who earned both at the same time as part of UA's accelerated master's program. One of the many great moments from this weekend's commencement ceremonies came when Jalen Hurts, who earned his bachelor's degree in just three years, received a standing ovation as he crossed the stage with his diploma.
Two More CoSIDA Academic All-Americans
In addition to receiving both her bachelor's and master's degrees this past weekend, soccer's Emma Welch also earned CoSIDA Academic All-America for the second time in as many years, while junior defensive back Keaton Anderson received the honor for the first time. With these two latest nods, Alabama student-athletes have now garnered Academic All-America recognition an NCAA Division I-best 90 times since 2009-10 and 58 times over the last six years. The Tide's six-year total is 10 better than second-place Stanford, while its total since 2009-10 is five ahead of second-place Stanford and 28 ahead of third-place Nebraska.
Alabama and the NCAA Top 10 Award
Congratulations to swimmer Luke Kaliszak who was announced as an NCAA Top 10 Award winner this past week, an award that honors him as one of the nation's top 10 seniors, regardless of sport, gender or NCAA division, from this past year. Luke enjoyed a tremendous career in both the pool and the classroom, winning an NCAA championship as well as earning both All-America and Academic All-America honors. He adds to our amazing legacy when it comes to this honor, which ranks as one of the highest the NCAA gives out. Alabama student-athletes have now earned this particular accolade 15 times overall, with an astounding eight coming in the last 10 years.
University Spotlight
For the first time in University of Alabama history, it has achieved Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity status, listing UA among the top doctoral research universities in the country by the Carnegie Foundation. This designation goes out to those at the highest level of research activity for universities that offer doctoral degrees. We have tremendous faculty and staff at The University of Alabama, and this is yet another example of that.
#RollTideFriday
First up this week we have a great photo from Barcelona submitted by Tide fan Pamela Roberts. We also are featuring Ralph Wright in his Alabama A-Club T-shirt on Sunset Beach on the Big Wave North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.
Pamela Roberts
Ralph Wright
Remember to use the hashtag #RollTideFriday in your social posts and tweet your photos to me at @Greg_Byrne. We will select two photos to feature in each blog and add even more to our #RollTideFriday Fan Hub.
Upcoming Schedule of Events
View the list of upcoming events, broadcast information, start times and stat links on our composite calendar. (Note: All times are listed in Central Time.)
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