Fans honor memory of late UAB coach Gene Bartow
A video presentation remembers the life of the late coach Gene Bartow at halftime of Memphis-UAB game at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012 (The Birmingham News/Jeff Roberts)
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Kaitlin King wasn’t born when Gene Bartow was coaching the UAB Blazers, but after arriving with her parents for the Bartow Classic against rival Memphis Saturday, night she stopped at the statue inside the arena named for the legendary basketball coach.
King, 11, was carrying flowers and laid them in front of the statue in memory of Bartow, who died Tuesday at age 81 after a two-year battle with stomach cancer.
“I wanted to do it because he was a good coach,” she said.
King has heard many stories about Bartow from her dad, UAB alum Jonathan King.
“She’s been coming here since she was born and I told her all about Coach Bartow and Bartow Arena,” Jonathan King said. “I was deeply saddened when I heard he had died. I hope UAB will always remember him and all he did for the city of Birmingham.”
An empty chair from the Gene Bartow era on the sideline is draped with a green jacket and green and gold tie in remembrance of the late coach before the start of Saturday night’s game at Bartow Arena. (The Birmingham News/Jeff Roberts)
Bartow started UAB’s basketball program in 1978 and coached the Blazers for 18 seasons, compiling a record of 366-203. He led the Blazers to the NIT in the program’s second year of existence, and followed that with seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including trips to the Sweet 16 in 1981 and the Elite Eight in 1982. In all, he led UAB to 14 postseason appearances, 10 of which were NCAA Tournaments.
Several other fans stopped by the statue as they filtered into the arena. A few left flowers, but most of them took photos.
Gerald Metzler left a memory board that included such mementos as photos of Bartow, newspaper clippings and ticket stubs from UAB’s victory over Virginia and Ralph Simpson in the Sweet 16 of the 1982 NCAA Tournament at the BJCC Arena.
“It took me six to eight hours to finish it,” Metzler said. “I met Coach Bartow a few times since I work at the Kirklin Clinic. When he retired, I gave him a notebook with some of these things in it.
“We’re losing somebody I don’t think anybody can replace.”
Ron Talley, 62, paused to take a photo of the statue.
“I’ve been coming to see UAB since the first game they played,” said Talley, who lives in Fairfield and wore a green cap with UAB Basketball written on it. “Coach Bartow was outstanding, the best there ever was.”
Some of the fans who stopped were from Memphis, where Bartow coached a team to the 1973 Final Four.
William Gardner, 65, lingered a while, snapping photos of the statue.
“I drove down from Memphis with my wife,” Gardner said. “I’m from Memphis, but I had moved away to Michigan when he was coaching there. I wish I could have been there. I heard he was a great coach.”
During player introductions, a twist was added when a clip of Bartow talking appeared on the video board and ended with the words “For our coach … for our fans … Beat Memphis.”
Just before tip-off, fans stood for a moment of silence in Bartow’s honor.
At halftime, a video tribute was shown and concluded with the phrase, “We don’t say goodbye, we say thank you.”
A viewing will be held from 3-6 p.m. Sunday at Bartow Arena, with the funeral at 11 a.m. Monday at First United Methodist Church in Vestavia Hills. Both are open to the public.
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