 Jim Hilyer was the first head coach of the Blazers, coaching from 1991–1994.Beginning with the first NCAA sanctioned Division III football team in 1991, UAB joined Division I-AA in 1993 and moved to Division I-A in 1996, joining Conference USA in 1999.Coach Watson Brown took over as head coach in 1995 and held the position through the end of the 2006 season, when he left for Tennessee Tech.