Bill Clark

UAB coach Bill Clark watches during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

(Danny Johnston)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The accolades only further illustrate what could have been at UAB.

A week and a half ago, Conference USA released its 2014 all-league football team and the Blazers occupied a school-record 15 spots. Three players sophomore running back Jordan Howard and seniors defensive lineman Diaheem Watkins and wide receiver J.J. Nelson were tapped as first-team choices.

Nelson was named the league's Special Teams Player of the Year on his way to being picked for multiple All-American teams.

It was a testament to what the team was able to accomplish in less than a year under first-year coach Bill Clark.

Now, it's his turn to receive recognition.

Clark, who came to Birmingham from Jacksonville State, his alma mater, back in January has been chosen as Conference USA's Coach of the Year by a landslide margin in a poll of Conference USA Media Association members. Clark guided the Blazers to a 6-6 (4-4) record. The mark qualified UAB for bowl competition for the time in 10 seasons.

"It's a big honor for any coach," Clark said. "But I've always said coach-of-the-year honors are really about the coaching staff and the team and how they respond to coaching and how the coaches all work together. Really, it's a group award to me."

Clark's first year at the helm turned out to be his only when UAB President Ray Watts announced the school's football program would be discontinued just days after the Blazers' 45-24 regular-season finale victory at Southern Miss.

"Right now, we're kind of going through the emotional roller coaster of getting bowl-eligible and then you don't make a bowl," Clark said. "Obviously, the biggest thing is not having our team back when we had a chance to be really good next year. All that's really tough. This award is nice to have. It's just another reminder of this team and all the heart and effort they put into it this past year."

Clark has yet to land another gig while several of his assistants, including former offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent (South Alabama) and wide receivers coach Cornelius Williams (Troy) have secured employment.

Coaches from across the country have lined up, seeking to sign members of the Blazers't team that was on its way to turning the program around had it been given the chance. The list of schools looking to sign former Blazers includes the likes of Auburn, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Indiana and Illinois among others.

"Just from the thousands of calls and the things that stands out to me aside from our fans are the comments other coaches who watched us play," Clark said. "I think they all appreciated our guys for the style of play that we showed and our heart and our effort. And nothing against our guys but I don't know if we were always the most talented. But our guys were never going to quit and fight until the end."

Here's the media association's 2014 all-league squad in its entirety:

FIRST TEAM

Offense

WR - Tommy Shuler, Marshall, senior

WR - Antonio Vaughan, Old Dominion, senior

WR - Jared Dangerfield, Western Kentucky, junior

OL - Chris Jasperse, Marshall, senior

OL - Brian O'Leary, UAB, senior

OL - Mitchell Bell, Louisiana Tech, senior

OL - Clint Van Horn, Marshall, junior

OL - Cyril Lemon, North Texas, senior

TE - Jonnu Smith, FIU, sophomore

QB - Brandon Doughty, Western Kentucky, senior

RB - Devon Johnson, Marshall, junior

RB - Jordan Howard, UAB, sophomore

Defense

DL - Diaheem Watkins, UAB, senior

DL - James Rouse, Marshall, senior

DL - Brian Nordstrom, Rice, junior

DL - Arnold Blackmon, Marshall, senior

LB - Neville Hewitt, Marshall, senior

LB - Derek Akunne, North Texas, senior

LB - Andrae Kirk, Florida Atlantic, senior

DB - Richard Leonard, FIU, junior

DB - Xavier Woods, Louisiana Tech, sophomore

DB - Darryl Roberts, Marshall, senior

DB - Kevin Byard, Middle Tennessee, junior

Punter - Tyler Williams, Marshall, junior

Kicker - Corey Acosta, Southern Miss, senior

Returner - J.J. Nelson, UAB, senior

SECOND TEAM

Offense

WR - Jordan Taylor, Rice, senior

WR - Lucky Whitehead, Florida Atlantic, senior

WR - Trent Taylor, Louisiana Tech, sophomore

OL - Jerel Watkins, UTEP, senior

OL - Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky, sophomore

OL - Matt Simonette, Rice, senior

OL - Josh Mann, Old Dominion, senior

OL - Roscoe Byrd, UAB, junior

TE - Kennard Backman, UAB, senior

QB - Rakeem Cato, Marshall, senior

RB - Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech, junior

RB - Aaron Jones, UTEP, sophomore

Defense

DL - Michael Wakefield, FIU, junior

DL - Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Southern Miss, senior

DL - Houston Bates, Louisiana Tech, senior

DL - Robert Singletary, UTSA, senior

LB - Jake Ganus, UAB, junior

LB - Jermaine Holmes, Marshall, senior

LB - Nick Holt, Western Kentucky, junior

DB - Tristan Wade, UTSA, senior

DB - Taj Letman, Marshall, junior

DB - Adairius Barnes, Louisiana Tech, junior

DB - D'Joun Smith, Florida Atlantic, senior