Alabama

Nick Saban speaks to Alabama football for 1st time since retirement

Published

1 month ago

April 14, 2024

Nick Saban speaks to Alabama football for 1st time since retirement

Nick Saban was back at Denny Chimes on Saturday. Like he’s presided over for nearly two decades, Saban was at the champion’s ceremony before the Alabama football spring game.

Yet, when A-Day kicked off about an hour later, Saban wasn’t on the field. Instead, UA’s former coach was in a suite, watching over some of the players he coached a few months ago. Earlier, Saban spoke to his team for the first time since his retirement in January.

“It was cool seeing Coach again, man. I got into him seeing him on the internet with his beard,” senior defensive back Malachi Moore said. “I thought he was gonna have that on today. He just came back and told us that he loves us, that he misses us and he’s always here for us and he’s always rooting for us.

“He said he don’t have to have to shave unless he has to and today he felt like he had to. I feel him on that.”

DeBoer told the team to expect Saban, who’s had an active couple of months. Saban spent time in Florida at various golf tournaments and made another trip to Washington D.C. to talk about the name, image and likeness system that’s rocked college sports. When Saban returned to Tuscaloosa, he met with some of the Tide’s coaches, including defensive coordinator Kane Wommack.

Saban will have an office in Bryant-Denny Stadium while DeBoer takes Saban’s prior space in the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility. Malachi Moore said he’s visited Saban in his new office, which is in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Throughout the spring, players have been asked to compare DeBoer’s methods to Saban’s.

“I would say the biggest difference is there’s a lot of younger, positive energy in the building I would say. Coach Saban has it his way and his way works. It’s very demanding, militant kinda like, but it worked for 17 years here,” Moore said. “Just the biggest thing is like music at practice and having hype. We always play around at practice and if somebody make a big play we all rush the field.”

Saturday’s A-Day scrimmage featured a different format than Saban’s. The offense and defense were split and competed with a unique scoring system. The offense’s early run was enough for the 34-28 victory and the accompanying steak dinner.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at NAlvarez@al.com.

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Alabama

Alabama Power's John Bowen makes his mark in engineering for 50 years – Alabama News Center

Published

29 mins ago

May 20, 2024

Press Room

Alabama Power's John Bowen makes his mark in engineering for 50 years – Alabama News Center

“Just call him “The Engineer’s Engineer.” That is longtime co-worker Michael Hawkins’ description of John Bowen as being the “go-to guy.” Hawkins, retired engineering supervisor in Power Delivery Planning, said, “John is always very meticulous, detail-oriented and the best at what he does.” Jim Fleming said Bowen took him under his wing in 1978, when

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Alabama

West Alabama Works to grow modern manufacturing program with increase in state funding

Published

7 hours ago

May 20, 2024

Press Room

West Alabama Works to grow modern manufacturing program with increase in state funding

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) – West Alabama will lead modern manufacturing efforts in schools around the state.

The state legislature recently approved a financial boost that will help a group in that part part of the state coordinate training for students for years to come.

Millions of dollars from the state’s education trust fund will pay for West Alabama Works to train high school instructors in modern manufacturing. The state allocated an additional $1.5 million to expand modern manufacturing classes in our schools. bringing the total to nearly $2.5 million.

West Alabama Works has been contracted to run modern manufacturing training programs statewide in K-12 schools.

That training includes working with instructors and showing them creative ways to teach the trade to students. It’s relatively new in career tech programs.

Modern manufacturing courses tie those students in with jobs when they finish the program.

“Our students can come in that two-year program, four semesters, and they come out with a job, a possible AAS degree, seven to 10 stackable credits,” explained Donny Jones, Executive Director of West Alabama Works. “But, most importantly, they’ll be making great money.”

More than 31 Alabama schools have modern manufacturing programs or will have them by Fall of 2024.

Nearly 1,700 students in Alabama are enrolled in high school modern manufacturing programs, according to Jones.

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Alabama

Will your child have to repeat 3rd grade under Alabama Literacy Act? Some exemptions, opportunities for retesting

Published

15 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Press Room

Will your child have to repeat 3rd grade under Alabama Literacy Act? Some exemptions, opportunities for retesting

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – The Alabama Literacy Act went into full effect this past Friday after the state released third grade student reading scores for the school year. State education leaders want parents to know that just because your child didn’t meet the reading requirements, it does not mean they have to repeat third grade.

According to the scores, 9% of third graders, roughly 4,800, are not reading well. However, the Alabama Educators Association says under the act, there are a few exceptions made for some students so they won’t have to repeat:

If a child is in their first two years of learning English language, they will not be required to repeat based off their reading scores.
If a child has a disability, then they may have an alternative set of learning standards they’re required to meet, excluding them from meeting the reading test scores on the ACAP.
If child has disability and they have already been retained once in kindergarten, 1st grade or 2nd grade, and have received at least two years of intensive remediation, they may be exempt from repeating the grade.
If a child has been retained two years, and has received reading remediation for two years, the child can apply to move forward a grade with a continued focus on reading.

There are also opportunities for students to re-test this summer, so if they were close but didn’t meet the proficiency level, they will have the opportunity to try again.

“There’s a lot of data and science behind allowing students to stay with a particular peer group, so all of this is intended to sort of merge the two interests so that the child does not stay too far behind,” said William Tunnell, the Northern Region Manager for the Alabama Educators Association.

State education leaders say you’ll want your child to prepare before they re-test, and they recommend talking with your child’s school to determine a plan for success.

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