Vincent returns to USA as Offensive Coordinator
Quarterbacks coach Bryant Vincent during preseason camp in 2012. Vincent returns to South Alabama, this time as offensive coordinator, after filling that same position at UAB under former Jaguar defensive coordinator Bill Clark for one season until the UAB program was disbanded recently.
After much speculation after former offensive coordinator Robert Matthews was dismissed, including reports earlier in the week that Bryant Vincent had already been hired, it was officially announced the Vincent will return to South Alabama as the Jaguars new offensive coordinator.
Vincent filled the same position at UAB this season and led one of the nations biggest offensive turnarounds. Previous to his one-year stint at UAB he was at South Alabama for three seasons where, in his first season, he coached tight ends before spending the next two seasons coaching quarterbacks. Before joining the Jaguars staff he was the head coach at Spanish Fort High School where he led the Toros to a state championship.
In addition to being the offensive coordinator, Vincent will coach the quarterbacks.
His first and only season as an offensive coordinator at UAB, the Blazers averaged 431.8 yards per game and 212.1 yards rushing while averaging 33.2 points per game. UAB was bowl eligible for the first time since 2004 before the decision to shut down the football program was made. The Blazers scored 40+ points on five occasions and enters the bowl season ranked in the top 40 nationally in four different statistical categories including rushing offense (33), scoring offense (37), completion percentage (32) and third-down conversions (40).
Four Blazers would earn all-Conference honors from the offense including first-team selection Jordan Howard who finished seventh in the nation in rushing and 20th in rushing touchdowns after putting up 1,587 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“Bryant Vincent is a complete football coach. He’s a great recruiter, a great motivator and has a very good offensive mind,” head coach Joey Jones said of Vincent. “He went up to UAB and did extremely well, they were scoring a lot of points including 34 against Mississippi State; watching them play, you could see they had an explosive offense. It’s great to have him back.”
“I’m very excited to be back. In my opinion South Alabama is a gold mine, it’s a first-class university with first-class people and facilities,” Vincent said. “Coach Jones has done a great job building this program from the ground up, I’m really excited to be a part of it again and hope to help build on the momentum that has been established here.
“Offensively, we want to play fast with a true fast tempo, we want to be able to stretch the field vertically, have a power running game, and be able to get the ball out on the perimeter and down the field. We want to put the ball in our playmakers’ hands in space and let them make plays.”
Vincent is scheduled to be back with the staff for today’s practice and will be part of the team for the Jaguars bowl game against Bowling Green on Saturday, December 20.