Alabama Athletics had an overwhelmingly positive year
By WVUA 23 Digital Reporter Peyton Davis
It seems as if year after year, the narrative around the University of Alabama’s athletics starts and ends with football.
That’s for good reason, of course, as head coach Nick Saban has turned the program into one of the most recognizable dynasties in the history the game. Saban’s been at the helm for six National Championships over the past 14 years, and that record has made it one of the college’s biggest draws.
Football’s success often dictates feelings toward Alabama Athletics in a given year, and that meant 2022’s 11-2 record alongside missing the College Football Playoffs was a major disappointment. If that record belonged to nearly any other college, it’d be considered an excellent year.
As a whole, Alabama Athletics during the 2022-23 academic year showcased resounding success. Here’s a look at how some of the top programs fared.
Men’s basketball
For starters, the Alabama men’s basketball team had a historically successful year in the 2022-23 season. The team went 31-6 overall and 16-2 in the SEC in its fourth year under head coach Nate Oats. That includes multiple stretches as the country’s top ranked team, being granted the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and winning the SEC Tournament for the second time in three years.
Freshman forward Brandon Miller was a standout, earning AP First Team All-American, SEC Player/Freshman of the Year and national Freshman of the Year, and he’s slated to the highest NBA Draft pick in the history of the program. Fellow freshman Noah Clowney and sophomore Charles Bediako NBA Draft hopefuls as well.
Even though March Madness ended early in the Sweet 16 to eventual champion runner-up San Diego State, Oats has men’s basketball trending way up.
Baseball
The Crimson Tide has seen historic success across the diamond in both baseball and softball over the past few weeks.
Alabama baseball is slated to appear in the Super Regional for the first time since 2010 this weekend. This comes after the team hosted a regional as the 16th overall seed in the field, something the program had not done since 2006.
The team faced controversy in late April when head coach Brad Bohannon was fired in the wake of a gambling scandal.
Since then, interim coach Jason Jackson’s squad has won 12 of 16 games, putting Alabama’s record at 43-19 — the most wins since 2006.
The team has a chance to reach the College World Series in Omaha for the first time this century, but even if that doesn’t happen, the program has enjoyed a historically successful year.
Softball
It’s no secret that Alabama softball has been racking up winning seasons under head coach Patrick Murphy since 1999, but the 2023 season was a scorcher.
The team reached the Woman’s College World Series in Oklahoma City for the 14th time during Murphy’s tenure, but lost to Tennessee and Stanford and wound up eliminated in the first round.
Despite that, the team wound up as the nation’s No. 5 seed. Next year, softball is undergoing a major change as it loses ace pitcher Montana Fouts. Murphy is already active in the transfer portal, landing top 2023 class recruit Kenleigh Cahalan, so 2024 is looking plenty strong.
Women’s soccer
The Crimson Tide women’s soccer team had its best year in program history with a record of 23-3-1.
Wes Hart, the team’s head coach since 2015, has grown the program throughout his tenure, but the 2022 season took the team to new heights. Alabama went from unranked to the top-ranked team in the country during the season.
The team was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever and made it all the way to the Final Four before losing to eventual champion UCLA 3-0. Former team members have been making waves professionally, including Felica Knox and Riley Tanner, and incoming freshman Coralie Lallier qualifying for international play.
Other major wins
Alabama Athletics had national success across a lot of fields this year.
The men’s golf team finished 11th overall in the NCAA Championship. Track and field had 23 qualifiers across 14 events for the national championship meet in Austin this week.
