UAB made the unpopular decision to be one of a handful of Division I programs to NOT cover the full cost of attendance for their student athletes this year.
Well, that didn't sit well with Blazers men's basketball coach Jerod Haase. After talking it over with his wife, Haase decided to cover the lot of players' stipends out of his own pocket. And he didn't just cover his men's team, his generosity extended to the women's team as well.
ESPN notes that Haase's donation was $46,000 total ($23,000 to each program), on behalf of him and his wife, was earmarked specifically for the cost of attendance and placed in a general athletic fund. UAB notes that the average stipend per player is $5,400. Haase's annual salary is $1 million.
The compliance department told ESPN that the donation of money earmarked for scholarships or aid for a certain sport is legal by NCAA standards, as long as it's put in a general fund first. The decision on how to then use those funds rests with the individual university.
Athletic director Mark Ingram noted that the school plans to pay for some, or all, cost of attendance for student athletes beginning next budget cycle, but they just couldn't make it happen this year financially.
My hat goes off to coach Haase and his wife for reaching deep into their own pockets for this donation because they did it for all the right reasons, not for the publicity. Up until recently, players didn't even know where the donation came from.
You just know there are football coaches out there that have considered doing this same thing after learning their university wouldn't be offering COA money this year. Maybe this kind of story is the encouragement they've been seeking to follow in Haase's footsteps and do the right thing.