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UAB softball players wait to greet catcher Anna Kimbrell after her grand slam during a game against Alabama on Feb. 19, 2013, at the UAB Softball Field in Birmingham, Alabama. (Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com)

As the UAB football team prepares to play its last regular-season game of the year and the possibility swirls that UAB President Ray Watts will decide to kill the program, a new group has raised its voice in support of the program.

The head coaches of UAB's women's teams have written a lengthy and passionate letter explaining why they believe "we are ALL at our best with a strong football program that positively impacts everything: our conference affiliation, our university's reputation, our city's national profile and community pride in UAB. This isn't a matter of opinion. It is a matter of common sense."

The coaches whose names are on the letter: Bailey Coleman, Sand Volleyball; Michelle Crews, Bowling; Kerry Messersmith, Volleyball; Randy Norton, Women's Basketball; Kurt Thomas, Women's Track; Mark Tija, Women's Tennis; Marla Townsend, Softball; Harold Warren, Women's Soccer; and Kim Wilcox, Women's Golf.

The letter discusses the uncertainty the coaches, their assistants, staff members and student-athletes feel about their own futures as the football debate rages, and, the head coaches write, "We have been given nothing believable to tell them."

The letter urges university leaders to keep the football program alive and invokes the spirit of the late UAB AD Gene Bartow as it says, "We refuse to be silent as the future of this program is discussed."

Here is the letter in its entirety:

To the leadership of our university and our city:

We have joined together today to write to you about the future of UAB athletics because we feel our voice is not being heard. We are seeking you out in hopes that you will listen to those inside the UAB athletic department as we offer our support for UAB football and Coach Bill Clark.

Many of us worked for or with Coach Gene Bartow. We shared his vision, and we worked with pride to realize his dreams. Those of us who came to UAB after Coach Bartow left us still feel his impact on a daily basis. His legacy is one of the main reasons we refuse to be silent as the future of this program is discussed.

As a part of our strategic planning process, we were all asked to adopt a 'championship culture' based on a foundation of competitiveness, hard work, accountability, morale, pride, integrity, ownership, support for one another, and no tolerance for excuses. Our coaches and student-athletes are held to these standards every day.

It seems apparent that very large decisions are being made by a very small group of people. This group is not communicating with us about the future of our teams, our student-athletes, and our coaching staffs, but these looming decisions are being discussed amongst ourselves. Our student-athletes ask us about the future of the teams to which they have committed their college years. Our coaches ask about their future with the teams to which they have committed their livelihoods. And we have been given nothing believable to tell them.

Coaches, athletes and staff know the questions are not just about football. Those of us who have given our careers to college athletics understand that a decision like this impacts the entire athletic department, because to be at our best, we need a strong football program.

It's black and white. For UAB basketball to be its best, we need a commitment to football. The same is true for Blazer soccer, volleyball, softball, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, rifle, and track - we are ALL at our best with a strong football program that positively impacts everything: our conference affiliation, our university's reputation, our city's national profile, and community pride in UAB. This isn't a matter of opinion. It is a matter of common sense.

Celebrating history is in the very DNA of sports, and at UAB we proudly look back on our accomplishments, records and championships. But our university was built on looking forward. On vision and discovery. On dreaming then doing. And just like our great city, we have overcome so many challenges to stand on the cusp of something bigger. As our city and our downtown undergo a renaissance, every day there are new signs of growth and progress. Why then, would UAB - the institution of dreamers and doers and Birmingham's shining example for progress - be the one to strip away something almost unanimously viewed as good for our city?

Our university is in the midst of a billion dollar capital campaign whose message is "Give Something, Change Everything." Our student-athletes and coaches continue to give UAB their everything, every day.

What we ask of you now is to have the vision to give them something. A chance.

We have been asked to be quiet. We have been told there is nothing to say. We have challenged our administration to stand up for our athletic department. We have not been asked for our opinion, or given us a voice to offer one. But now you have it: We, the coaches of the women's sports programs at UAB, speak for our assistant coaches, our student-athletes and the fans of our programs, and we stand together to give our unwavering support to UAB football and Coach Bill Clark.



Bailey Coleman | UAB Sand Volleyball

Michelle Crews | UAB Bowling

Kerry Messersmith | UAB Volleyball

Randy Norton | UAB Women's Basketball

Kurt Thomas | UAB Women's Track

Mark Tija | UAB Women's Tennis

Marla Townsend | UAB Softball

Harold Warren | Women's Soccer

Kim Wilcox | UAB Women's Golf