UAB Coach Bill Clark Wins 2018 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award

UAB head football coach Bill Clark was named the winner of the 2018 Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year award Thursday.

Per UAB's official athletics website, Clark said the following regarding the honor:

"I am truly humbled to receive the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and would like to thank the Football Writers Association of America and the Allstate Sugar Bowl for this prestigious recognition. This honor is the epitome of a team effort and it would not have been possible without the countless hours of the entire staff and the relentless motivation from our student-athletes in striving to make history every day. UAB football would also like to thank the entire city of Birmingham for its tremendous support throughout this journey and making it possible for us to take the field each and every Saturday."

Clark has led the Blazers to a 10-3 record, marking the first time in the program's history as an FBS school that it has won double-digit games in a season.

UAB also beat Middle Tennessee State 27-25 in the Conference USA Championship Game for the program's first C-USA title.

Remarkably, UAB's football program disbanded following the 2014 season and did not return until 2017.

Last season, Clark and the Blazers beat the odds by going 8-5 in their first year back.

Clark has now spent three seasons as head coach at UAB and has compiled a 24-14 record with two bowl appearances.

UAB athletic director Mark Ingram marveled at what Clark has been able to do with the program in such a short amount of time: "It goes without saying how proud everyone at UAB is of Coach Clark and his entire staff. The job they have done is incredible and the team's record speaks for itself. This is a career milestone for Coach Clark, and we are honored for him to receive this prestigious award."

The Blazers will have a chance to pick up their first bowl win Dec. 18 when they face Northern Illinois in the Boca Raton Bowl.

In winning the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year award, Clark joins notable recent winners such as Alabama's Nick Saban, Notre Dame's Brian Kelly and last year's winner, Scott Frost, who is now the coach at Nebraska after leading UCF to an undefeated record last season.

Clark will accept his award Jan. 5 at a reception in San Jose, California, two days before the College Football Playoff National Championship.