Former Kansas football coach Turner Gill's name has reappeared on coaching radars for the first time since his firing earlier this week - as a potential candidate for the open University of Alabama-Birmingham job. Gill was mentioned by AL.com, along with former Illinois offensive coordinator Paul Petrino, Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee and Auburn assistant coach Curtis Luper.
Obviously, Gill is no stranger to coaching interest from Alabama schools. He was considered a top candidate for the open Auburn job in 2008 after Tommy Tuberville was fired. At the time, Gill was considered a miracle worker at MAC doormat Buffalo, taking the Bison to a 8-4 record and a conference title by beating undefeated Ball State.
Gill didn't get the Auburn job - Iowa State head coach Gene Chizik did, despite arriving with a 5-19 overall record as the Cyclones' head coach. The choice of Chizik (a former defensive coordinator at Auburn) over the red-hot Gill caused a controversy across the state and nation that touched on the racial imbalance of college football's head coach opportunities for African Americans.
Three years later Auburn has a national championship, while Gill is out a job after just two seasons at Kansas. If he were to be hired by UAB, he would bring a record of 5-19 at previous job - a Big 12 program of equal merit to Iowa State, no less - to the Blazers.