Andy Kennedy outlines the path forward for UAB athletics: 'One voice, one vision'

It has been an incredible whirlwind month for Andy Kennedy.

UAB's head men's basketball coach took on the role of interim director of athletics after the departure of former AD Mark Ingram. He is preparing to begin practice with a roster that features 11 newcomers. And in between, he has been making campus visits, meeting with key stakeholders, speaking to boosters, getting a handle on the day-to-day operations of the athletic department and even zipping by jet to watch UAB's season-opening football game at Illinois Thursday night.

Before he departed for Champaign, Kennedy sat down for a wide-ranging interview with David Crane on the Inferno Network podcast, the official podcast of UAB Athletics. The full episode is embedded below.

Here are the key takeaways.

On taking the interim AD role

Kennedy said he was out of state when he got the phone call about Ingram's departure and came back a day early.

"I was as surprised, trust me, as everyone was when they heard the news," Kennedy said. "And I was asked to step into a vacuum and during this interim transition try to bring some semblance of order."

Asked if he had ever thought about being an athletic director, Kennedy laughed.

"Not in my wildest nightmares," he said.

Kennedy said he has been in the role "a little over a week" and described some of the learning curve that comes with it.

"I've had conversations that I never thought I would have over things that I never thought I would be in a position of voting power on," he said.

He credited UAB President Dr. Ray Watts with surrounding him with experienced university administrators. But Kennedy made clear where his priorities sit.

"I'm still a coach first and foremost," he said.

On what the next AD should look like

Kennedy outlined a clear vision for what UAB needs in its next permanent athletic director.

"Who has an actionable plan that they have the ability to execute? That's the key," Kennedy said. "I think it's got to be a unifying vision where you've got internal support — the president's office, the board, all of the internal people have to be connected. And then I know that the Birmingham community will get in line as they always have. One voice, one vision with the ability to execute. That's what I think we need moving forward."

He connected the moment to UAB's founding, referencing Dr. S. Richardson Hill Jr. recruiting Gene Bartow from UCLA in 1977 to build the athletic program from scratch.

"They put together a vision and they got not only the UAB community behind it, but they got the greater Birmingham community behind it," Kennedy said. "And here we are now 49 years later."

Kennedy also praised Birmingham itself as a selling point for candidates.

"I think Birmingham is one of the most underrated places to live without question in the southeast of America, maybe all of America," he said. "We're the state's largest employer. UAB is the economic engine in the state of Alabama."

On thanking Mark Ingram

Before looking forward, Kennedy paused to acknowledge Ingram's tenure.

"I want to publicly thank Mark Ingram. 11 years. He did a lot of tremendous things for this department," Kennedy said. "Hired me six years ago to have the opportunity to come back and coach at my alma mater. So for that I'll be forever indebted."

On the state of college athletics

Kennedy did not shy away from the broader chaos facing college sports, including ongoing NCAA lawsuits, eligibility disputes and the push for congressional legislation.

"It's really unfortunate that we're here," Kennedy said. "We could spend the next two hours talking about why we're here, but we're here."

He voiced support for pending federal legislation.

"I promise you there's more good in there than bad," he said. "I personally support it because I think it's something that moves us forward where there at least there's a national regulation that we all know where the goalposts are. They keep moving the goalpost on us."

On the competitive landscape between conferences, he was blunt: "It's kind of like a bad reality show."

Kennedy also addressed the NCAA tournament expansion, saying he hopes additional bids do not simply flow to power conference teams.

"You can't be four or five games under .500, still be smack dab on the bubble, fighting teams such as us," he said.

On the basketball roster

Kennedy's seventh UAB team will look dramatically different. The Blazers have 11 newcomers on a 13-man roster after significant offseason turnover.

Chance Westry, who Kennedy called one of the most dynamic players in UAB history, transferred to Xavier. Evan Chatman went to Baylor. Associate head coach Ryan Cross left to become head coach at Louisiana-Monroe and took three players with him.

Kennedy replaced Cross with Jesse Bop and brought back former assistant John Coleman.

The most notable change is size. Kennedy acknowledged last year's team was too short and addressed it.

"With KyeRon (Lindsay-Martin, seeking a fifth year of eligibility), we would be the tallest team in UAB history," Kennedy said. "I'm not as dumb as I look. I realized that was an issue."

The Blazers also targeted perimeter shooting, which Kennedy called "very, very problematic" last season.

On the Bartow Arena renovation

Kennedy has visited the construction site once — and only once, he said, a product of growing up working on job sites with his father, an electrician for 46 years.

"They don't do a whole lot for me anymore," he said of construction sites.

But what he saw impressed him. The renovation includes new seating, a club level Kennedy described as having "a grandiose feel" and a redesigned front entrance.

"I think the Blazer family will be proud of what they see," he said.

The arena is expected to be ready in early November.

Watch the full episode of the Inferno Network podcast above.