FLORENCE — University of North Alabama officials want to share the excitement of athletics developments with Huntsville-area fans. So, coaches are jumping aboard the first Coaches Caravan for a meet-and-greet Thursday.
In the past year, the university has played football and baseball games at the Rocket City Trash Pandas’ Toyota Field in Madison as part of its outreach to the Huntsville metro area.
“The University of North Alabama encompasses so many regions in this great state and beyond,” said Payton Haslam, director of development for UNA Athletics. “With such a large population of UNA alums, passionate fans, and eager supporters living in Huntsville, we are making it our priority to meet them where they are and work on building meaningful relationships.
“There is no better opportunity to do that than in Huntsville, and we want to give everyone the opportunity to know our coaches, know our staff, see our vision for the department, and this is a natural step as we embrace this idea.”
Head football coach Brent Dearmon, head men’s basketball coach Tony Pujol, and head women’s basketball coach Missy Tiber will discuss their upcoming seasons and what’s ahead for UNA. Dr. Josh Looney, director of athletics, and other staff will also be on hand to share department news.
With the recent announcement of the university’s plan to bring a multipurpose stadium to campus, conversation is sure to be lively. Social hour with free food, drinks, and giveaways begins at 5:30 p.m.; the program begins at 6:30.
“We wanted to host an event in which we get to know people,” Haslam said. “Our programming will consist of meet-and-greet aspects during our social hour, followed by program and department updates at 6:30, and capped off with a Q&A session hosted by the voice of the Lions, Ben Ray.
“As we continue on this new era of Division I athletics, it is our full intention to make the Coaches Caravan an annual event, and explore opportunities for this to grow beyond the north Alabama region. We want to give every passionate UNA supporter the opportunity to interact with us, and that requires us to make the effort in going to our constituents.”
The event will be at MartinFed, 115 Clinton Avenue East. Haslam said the university appreciates the cooperation from MartinFed and Chief Growth Officer Matthew Schmitz.
“This is evidence that people care about North Alabama Athletics, that people want to see us be successful, and we just need to create a platform for them to get to know us,” Haslam said.
“This event is truly a space to engage and interact with North Alabama Athletics. Come prepared to meet our coaches, connect with other UNA supporters, bring your questions, and make sure to wear your UNA purple.”
To RSVP, click for the Coaches Caravan and for more details, click here.
For more information about the event, contact Haslam at 256-765-4412 or [email protected].
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