75-807: The North Alabama Lions are the athletic teams of the University of North Alabama , located in Florence, Alabama . The Lions are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and compete within the ASUN Conference for all sports except football, which plays in the United Athletic Conference . The university has a total of 14 varsity sports teams, six men's teams and eight women's teams. The fall of 2018 marked
150-780: A 10–4 record at Flowers Hall. In 2006, the Lions returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 10 seasons finishing with an 18–11 record. Two years later, UNA was back in the Elite Eight. The Lions went 27-9 during the 2007-08 campaign and won the South Region Tournament before falling to top-ranked Bentley at the Mass Mutual Building in Springfield, Massachusetts. On April 2, 2018, Tony Pujol
225-723: A 9–2 record, co-GSC Championship, and another NCAA Playoff bid in 2014, a 9–3 record, third straight GSC title and NCAA Playoff appearance in 2015, and an unprecedented fourth straight GSC title, an 11–2 record and a trip to the Division II National Championship Game in 2016. Wallace retired at the conclusion of the season as the winningest coach in UNA history with a 126-51-1 record and as the winningest coach in Gulf South Conference history at 152-81-1. After 15 seasons as an assistant coach on
300-551: A 9–3 record and 20th playoff trip in 2015. In 2016, North Alabama won an unprecedented fourth straight Gulf South Conference Championship, advanced to the Division II Playoffs for the 21st time and advanced to the Division II National Championship Game for the fifth time in school history. But the Lions can trace their success much further back. The first 30 years after the rebirth of the Lion football program established
375-462: A charter member of the Gulf South Conference. Three years later Mickey Andrews came to Florence and stayed four years before giving way to Wayne Grubb as the school's fourth head coach. Grubb would lead UNA to 84 wins, three Gulf South Conference titles, and its first three NCAA playoff appearances in an 11-year stint in Florence. Following Grubb's departure, UNA turned to Bobby Wallace to continue
450-453: A college which would not be "religious or theological". By January 1829, the selection of Lawrence Hill on LaGrange Mountain was made for the site of the school. A year later, LaGrange College opened to students of all denominations in two three-story brick buildings. The Rev. Robert Paine was the first president. The North Carolina native was also the professor of moral science and belles lettres and taught geography and mineralogy . He
525-577: A combined 308 wins and back-to-back trips to the NCAA Division II South Regional Tournament in 2011 and 2012. The Lions 2011 appearance was the first by the Lions in 12 years. Keehn then led the Lions to another level in 2019 with the move to NCAA Division I status as a member of the ASUN Conference. The Lions finished their first Division I season at 16–38, facing a rugged schedule, but UNA remained in
600-505: A dining area, computer laboratories, super laboratories and lecture halls. The UNA Science and Engineering Technology Building is a FEMA rated storm shelter capable of withstanding an F5 tornado. In June 2018, the building was renamed the Mitchell Burford Science and Technology Building in honor of Mitchell Burford, the largest individual private donor in the university's history. The Wendell W. Gunn University Commons
675-678: A general in the Confederate States Army. LaGrange College and Florence Wesleyan University also produced three other Civil War generals: Confederate Generals Edward A. O'Neal (later an Alabama governor) and John Gregg and Union General Daniel McCook Jr. When the Methodist Church deeded Florence Wesleyan to the State of Alabama in 1872, the institution became the State Normal School at Florence,
750-412: A metropolitan area with a combined population of 140,000 people. The University of North Alabama was one of about 180 " normal schools " founded by state governments in the 19th century to train teachers for the rapidly growing public common schools. Some closed but most steadily expanded their role and became state colleges in the early 20th century and state universities in the late 20th century. It
825-534: A native of nearby Tuscumbia. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places . Adjacent to Wesleyan Hall in a specially constructed tower is the Wesleyan Bell, which tolled regularly throughout the last quarter of the 19th century to summon Florence Normal School students to class. Sometime around 1910, the bell was removed from Wesleyan Hall and stored. Rediscovered in 2002,
SECTION 10
#1732797254227900-532: A new Graduate Division, the graduate program was launched in the summer of 1957. The same year, the Alabama Legislature voted to change the institution's name to Florence State College to reflect its expanding academic mission. Compared with other southern institutions of higher learning, particularly the universities of Alabama and Mississippi , integration occurred almost painlessly at Florence State College. In 1963, Wendell Wilkie Gunn became
975-467: A reorganization in 1991, the university's administrative structure consists of four divisions: Academic Affairs, Business Affairs, Student Affairs and Advancement, each headed by a vice president. In 1993, the Board of Trustees, anticipating continued and steady enrollment growth, adopted a new master facilities plan to ensure that UNA will be equipped to accommodate 10,000 students. Kenneth D. Kitts became
1050-405: A strong foundation for the program. Under the direction of Hal Self, the early Lion football teams were a model of consistency, enjoying 12 winning seasons in the first 14 years or the program. The Lions dominated other state institutions, going 12 years from 1952 to 1964 without losing a game to another school from Alabama (31-0-2). The Lions’ first conference title came in 1960 with the formation of
1125-403: A touchdown or less. The Lions were not eligible to rank in the conference standings due to the transition but would have finished fourth with a 3-4 league mark. During the season, the Lions faced four nationally ranked FCS teams, all on the road. The University of North Alabama fielded football teams from 1912 to 1928 but with little or no success. Following a miserable showing in 1928, football
1200-526: A variety of professional leagues in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The men's basketball program at the University of North Alabama is one of the most successful in collegiate basketball, having claimed two national championships, made five Final Four appearances and played in 14 NCAA championship tournaments. The foundation for UNA's success in basketball, and its entire athletic program,
1275-420: Is now known as Mike D. Lane Field. University of North Alabama The University of North Alabama ( UNA ) is a public university in Florence, Alabama . It is the state's oldest public university. Occupying a 130-acre (0.5 km ) campus in a residential section of Florence, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Tuscumbia , Sheffield and Muscle Shoals . The four cities compose
1350-670: The Florence Synodical Female College was located and for two Alabama governors. The district, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, also is noted for its residential structures, built between 1908 and 1943 and representing a wide array of architectural styles. UNA's campus facilities master plan was developed by the Olmsted Brothers , the sons of the architect who designed New York City's Central Park . A copy of
1425-705: The Latin and Greek Grammar. Prospective students also were required to demonstrate an ability to translate four books of Caesar's Gallic Wars , six books of Virgil 's Aeneid , Jacob's or Felton's Greek Reader, and at least one of Xenophon 's Anabasis . One hundred and sixty students enrolled in the first year of operation (1855) of Florence Wesleyan University. The school quickly attracted students from five states and two foreign countries. Among Florence Wesleyan's graduates were Alabama governor Emmet O'Neal and Texas governor Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross (the latter of whose tenure as president of Texas A&M University
1500-480: The 130-year-old Wesleyan Bell was restored to a prominent place on campus following construction of the Smith Bell Tower in 2004. Rogers Hall, another one of UNA's most distinctive structures, was constructed by planter George Washington Foster in 1855 at the summit of Court Street (hence its original name, Courtview). Because construction would result in the permanent obstruction of a major thoroughfare,
1575-652: The 20th president of the University of North Alabama in March 2015. Kitts formerly worked as provost at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke . Kitts also taught at Francis Marion University in South Carolina, the University of South Carolina , and Appalachian State University in North Carolina. The UNA campus is adjacent to the Seminary-O'Neal Historic District, named for the street on which
SECTION 20
#17327972542271650-587: The Alabama Collegiate Conference, and UNA would win four straight league titles. The first African American football players also joined the program during the Self era. Upon Self's retirement from coaching in 1969, Durell Mock became the first, and so far only, former Lion player to become the Lions’ head football coach. During Mock's third and final season as head coach, the university became
1725-466: The Alabama Legislature removed jurisdiction for the college from the State Board of Education and vested it in a board of trustees. A year later, the new board voted for another name change to Florence State University, once again symbolizing the steady expansion of the institution's academic offerings and mission. Ethelbert Brinkley "E.B." Norton, who was serving as president at the time this name
1800-519: The Alabama governor to enroll the 35th Alabama Infantry from faculty, cadets, and enlistees from surrounding counties. On April 28, 1863, the buildings were destroyed by Union soldiers of the 10th Missouri Cavalry , including a library of 4,000 volumes. Among LaGrange's alumni were several generals, Alabama governors Edward A. O'Neal and David P. Lewis , Alabama Supreme Court justice William M. Byrd and U.S. Senator Jeremiah Clemens , who wrote
1875-517: The COVID-19 virus. A longtime assistant with the Lions, Keehn became head coach in 2009, beginning a new era at the school after 25 seasons under The 2008 season was a historic one for UNA as Mike Lane stepped down as head coach after 25 straight winning seasons at the school. A major renovation of the school's University Field also resulted in a renaming of the facility in Lane's honor as the facility
1950-606: The Civil War, Wesleyan Hall was occupied by both Union and Confederate armies. General William Tecumseh Sherman is considered the most famous Civil War-era occupant of Wesleyan Hall. After the war, the building was deeded to the state of Alabama and thereafter served as a state normal school. It currently serves as the center for Foreign Languages (French, German, and Spanish), Psychology, and Geography. Wesleyan Hall houses personal effects and mementoes of former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice and U.S. Senator Howell Heflin ,
2025-607: The College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering are housed in the building. Coby Hall was donated to the university in 1990 by David Brubaker in memory of his wife, Coby Stockard Brubaker. Built by John Simpson on the site of his earlier home in 1843, the Simpson House/Irvine Place, as it had been known, later was purchased by George W. Foster, builder of Courtview, for his daughter, Virginia, and her husband, James B. Irvine. The University Admissions office
2100-845: The Division II Football Hall of Fame and McKinnon received the ultimate honor when he was enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. Wallace was also inducted as part of the first class of coaches to enter the Division II Football Hall of Fame in 2010. On a professional level, the Lions have produced an NFL Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in Harlon Hill, and five other Lions have played on Super Bowl squads. A total of 24 Lions have been drafted by professional teams and 35 more have signed free-agent NFL contracts. Numerous others have played in
2175-656: The Final Four in 1977, 1979, 1980 and 1984. In 14 his seasons, Jones led his UNA squads to a combined 165–37 home record at Flowers Hall for an 81.7 winning percentage. UNA's fourth head coach, Gary Elliott, continued the Lion's success story, taking his teams to a 252–140 record overall and a 148–49 record at home. In Elliott's 15 seasons, he led the Lions to their second national championship in 1991, four NCAA appearances in 1991, 1994, 1995, and 1996 and an average of better than 19 wins per season. The Lions have won 20 or more games five times under Elliott. Elliott, who retired at
2250-621: The Gulf South Conference championship. In three years in Florence Bowden compiled a 29–10 record with three NCAA playoff appearances. Bobby Wallace returned to UNA prior to the 2012 season and led the Lions to a 5–5 record before his 2013 squad went 10–3, won a share of the GSC Championship, and fought its way to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Wallace and the Lions followed that with
2325-588: The Harlon Hill Trophy as Division II Player of the Year. In 2010 the Lions made their sixth consecutive NCAA playoff appearance and finished with a 9–4 record and followed that with a seventh straight post-season appearance in 2011. In 2013 the Lions made their ninth post-season appearance in the last 11 years and reached the quarterfinals of the Division II playoffs and followed that with a 9–2 record and 19th NCAA post-season appearance in 2014 and
North Alabama Lions - Misplaced Pages Continue
2400-629: The Ku Klux Klan to propel his ascendancy to the Governor's office. Once in office, Graves's passage of the largest education budget in Alabama history led to the moniker as the "Education Governor", Graves's support for education led to recognition on virtually every Alabama college campus. The Office of the President, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs, Human Resources, and
2475-710: The Lion basketball fortunes went to a new level. In 14 seasons, Jones led UNA to six NCAA Tournament appearances and four trips to the Final Four, including an NCAA Division II National Championship in 1979. UNA was the first college or university in the state to win a basketball national championship and is one of just four Division II programs to have won more than one Division II basketball championship. Jones led UNA to Gulf South Conference championships in 1977, 1981 and 1984 and GSC Tournament titles in 1981, 1984 and 1988. He led UNA to NCAA Tournaments in 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984 and 1988, with his teams winning regional crowns in 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1984. Under Jones, UNA went to
2550-487: The Lion tradition and he was more than up for the challenge. In his 10 years in Florence, Wallace led UNA to 82 wins, three GSC titles, six playoff appearances, and three NCAA Division II National Championships in 1993, 1994, and 1995. North Alabama became the first school in the history of NCAA scholarship football to win three consecutive national championships, and UNA is still the only NCAA Division II institution to have won three straight crowns. Following that 1995 season,
2625-503: The Lion's first year of their transition into Division I. They have a storied tradition in Division II and have earned numerous national titles competing in NCAA Division II 's Gulf South Conference . NCAA The UNA Athletic Department sponsors the following sports. Women's indoor and outdoor track and field was sponsored from the 2015-16 to 2017-18 seasons. Men's athletic teams Women's athletic teams Since
2700-509: The Lions also became the first Division II squad invited to the White House, as the UNA squad met with President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, and members of Congress. From 1993 to 1995 the Lions went 41-1 and set a Division II record by ranking No. 1 in the nation in 27 straight polls, UNA also tied a Division II record by winning 28 consecutive home games at Braly Stadium. Wallace left UNA following another playoff run in 1997 and
2775-426: The Lions elevated longtime defensive coordinator Bill Hyde to the head coaching position. Hyde retired following the 2001 season and Mark Hudspeth became the seventh head coach in UNA history. Hudspeth spent seven seasons in Florence and put the Lion program back at the top of Division II, winning 64 games and making five playoff appearances. Under Hudspeth's direction, the Lions reached the NCAA semifinals three times,
2850-501: The Player of the Year award since its creation in 1986. Then in 2009, another historic chapter was written when nationally renowned coach Terry Bowden came to Florence and led the Lions to an 11–2 record, a Gulf South Conference championship, a spot in the quarterfinals of the Division II playoffs, and a No. 6 national ranking in the final poll. It was UNA's fifth straight season with 10 or more wins and fifth straight playoff appearance. It
2925-504: The UNA staff, Chris Willis became the Lions' tenth head coach in 2017, leading the Lions in their final season of Division II competition as well as into the transition as an FCS program. Wilis led the Lions to a solid 7-3 finish in their first season in the FCS in 2018. With the team's successes have come a remarkable amount of individual accolades. Since 1949, 63 different Lion players have earned first or second-team All-American honors. Wallace
3000-685: The building was renamed the Wendell W. Gunn University Commons in honor of Wendell Gunn, the first African-American student to enter Florence State College (now the University of North Alabama) in 1963. Mattielou and Olive residence halls were completed in fall 2015 and spring 2016, respectively. The new residence halls are located on the extreme north end of campus, behind Covington and Hawthorne halls. Mattielou has 335 spaces and Olive has 429 spaces. These buildings were built primarily for incoming freshmen students. There are double and limited single rooms and each unit has its own bathroom. Harrison Plaza
3075-526: The city had to secure the approval of the Alabama Legislature before work could begin. In the fall of 1864, the residence served as the headquarters of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest . Courtview was occupied by members of the Foster family until 1900, when it became the home of Alabama Gov. Emmet O'Neal . In the 1920s, the residence was acquired by Thomas M. Rogers Sr., and in 1948 by
North Alabama Lions - Misplaced Pages Continue
3150-689: The college had moved north across the Tennessee River to Florence. The section of Franklin County containing LaGrange Mountain is now Colbert County . LaGrange College, which became Florence Wesleyan University in 1855, is now the University of North Alabama. LaGrange College arose from the idea offered at a November 28, 1826 meeting of the Tennessee Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church to establish
3225-563: The college was suspended and re-established as the LaGrange College and Military Academy, with James W. Robertson as superintendent. Under its new name, additional buildings were constructed and the school reached its highest prosperity. The state of Alabama made provision for two cadets from each county to be enrolled, and by 1861 47 of its 171 students were state cadets. The school suffered a loss of enrollment again when Alabama seceded, and in March 1862 Robertson received approval from
3300-459: The curriculum was expanded again to include A.B. and B.S. degree programs in fields other than teacher training. Progress continued apace toward the comprehensive university the institution would ultimately become. In 1956, the institution crossed another academic milestone with the formation of a graduate course of study in education leading to the Master of Arts degree. With the establishment of
3375-596: The end of the 2002–03 season, helped place UNA among the division's elite. Bobby Champagne took over the Lions Basketball program for the 2003-04 campaign, leading the Lions to a 12-16 overall record his first season and a 14–14 mark the following year. UNA advanced to the first round of the GSC Tournament in each of Champagne's seasons at the helm of the program. On Nov. 20, 2004, the Lions knocked off top-ranked Southern Indiana 78–75 at home on its way to
3450-445: The episode as "the easiest case of my civil rights career." Gunn, who subsequently earned degrees from Florence State College and the University of Chicago , went on to a distinguished career in banking and finance, including an appointment as international trade adviser to President Ronald Reagan in 1982. Wendell Gunn was appointed to the board of trustees of the University of North Alabama by Governor Kay Ivey in 2019. In 1967
3525-420: The establishment of separate schools within the university. Less than a decade later, on August 15, 1974, the university underwent another change of name to the University of North Alabama, symbolizing its coming of age as a comprehensive, regional university. The following year, the graduate curriculum again was expanded with the introduction of the master's degree program in business administration. Following
3600-436: The first American Civil War novel and the first western novel. LaGrange graduate Richard H. Rivers , after becoming president of the college, led most of the students and all but one faculty member from the mountain in late 1854 to relocate to Florence. The school was re-incorporated as Florence Wesleyan University. Admission to Florence Wesleyan required an acquaintance with English grammar , arithmetic , geography and
3675-497: The first African-American student to enroll at the college. Gunn had initially been denied admission. Then-President E.B. Norton sent Gunn a letter informing him that the Alabama Legislature and Board of Education would not allow the college to accept his application. Speaking at UNA in 2005, famed civil rights attorney Fred Gray , who represented Gunn, recalled that the hearing that integrated UNA lasted only ten minutes, after which Gunn returned to campus and enrolled. Gray described
3750-638: The first Lion squad onto the field on Sept. 29, 1949, through UNA's playoff loss that ended the 2009 season, the North Alabama program has made a name for itself like few others in the nation. The 2008 season, UNA's 60th since football returned to campus, was emblematic of the Lions’ current position in college football. The Lions posted a 12–2 record and came within one game of playing for the Division II National Championship on its home field. That's because UNA had served as
3825-558: The first state-supported teachers college south of the Ohio River . Shortly thereafter, it became one of the first co-educational institutions in the nation. A year after its becoming a state school, the institution opened its doors to women; however, none attended until 1874, when 31 young women enrolled. The first woman joined the faculty in 1879. Florence Normal School's Newton W. Bates, professor of language and literature, published his History of Civil Government of Alabama in 1892,
SECTION 50
#17327972542273900-589: The first textbook on the history of Alabama . T.S. Stribling , one of the university's most noteworthy alumni, graduated from Florence State Normal School in 1903. He is recognized as one of the leaders of the Southern Renaissance for his novels Birthright , The Forge , The Store and the Unfinished Cathedral . The Pulitzer prize -winning novelist and author outsold contemporaries William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway during
3975-642: The host for the Division II Football Championship since 1986, and is the only school to have had the chance to claim a Division II title on its home field. Following a record-setting season of his own, North Alabama quarterback A.J. Milwee was the runner-up for the Division II National Player of the Year Award. That award is the Harlon Hill Trophy, named for the former Lion standout end whose name has been on
4050-445: The hub of UNA's three pedestrian walkways and serves as the principal entrance to campus. With its distinctive towers, Wesleyan Hall , one of UNA's most familiar structures, is considered one of the most eminent landmarks in North Alabama. The Gothic Revival structure was designed to serve LaGrange College when this Methodist institution relocated from Franklin to Lauderdale county and was renamed Florence Wesleyan University. During
4125-414: The hunt for a possible ASUN Tournament berth until the final series of the series. It was just UNA's second losing season in the last 36 years. The Lions had a streak of 30 consecutive winning seasons from 1984 to 2013. Included in 2019 was a 10-6 road win at then-18th-ranked Ole Miss. It was UNA's first win over a Southeastern Conference opponent in 22 years. UNA was 3–13 in 2020 in a season cut short by
4200-405: The interwar period of the 1920s and 1930s. The institution functioned as a normal school for more than 50 years until 1929, when it became a state teachers college offering a four-year curriculum in elementary education. The first bachelor's degrees were awarded in 1931. Less than a decade later, the curriculum was expanded to include a four-year course of study in secondary education. In 1947,
4275-439: The local trustees was Henry Stuart Foote of Tuscumbia, who would move to Mississippi and defeat Jefferson Davis in the 1850 Governor's election. In 1850, a grammar school was added to LaGrange College. (Today, UNA's Kilby Laboratory School is the only university-owned and operated elementary laboratory school in Alabama. In 1858, following the death of the school's president and the loss of most of its students to nearby Florence,
4350-769: The original Olmsted plan is permanently displayed in the President's Office in 601 Cramer Way. The campus has three antebellum structures: Wesleyan Hall ; Rogers Hall ; and Coby Hall . All three are listed in the National Historic Register . The UNA Science and Engineering Technology Building was completed in 2015. The five-story, 160,000-square-foot facility was designed by Lambert Ezell Durham Architects and constructed by BL Harbert, The state-of-the-art building houses engineering technology, biology, chemistry, occupational health science, physics and earth science. It also includes conference areas, faculty offices, research facilities, specialized classrooms,
4425-487: The quarterfinals twice, and had five seasons with 10 or more wins. With six decades of success already on the books, even more excitement was brought to the Lion football program on December 31, 2008, with the hiring of Terry Bowden as UNA's eighth head football coach. Bringing a big-name, high-profile former Division I National Coach of the Year to Florence sparked anticipation for year number 61 of Lion football and Bowden's first team didn't disappoint. UNA went 11-2 and won
4500-518: The rebirth of football at the University of North Alabama in 1949, UNA has been one of the most consistently successful programs in the state of Alabama and on a regional and national level. As an NCAA Division II member, UNA was nationally ranked in the Top 25 of the final Division II poll 21 times from 1980 to 2017, with 15 Top Ten Rankings. UNA's 21 all-time playoff appearances are the second most in Division II history. In addition, UNA's 35 playoff wins are
4575-578: The second most in DII history and the Lions' 12 Gulf South Conference football crowns are by far the most in league history. In 2018, the Lions began a new chapter with a transition to Division I and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) status. The Lions played as an independent in the FCS in 2018 and finished with a 7–3 record. In 2019, UNA played its first season as a member of the Big South Conference and went 4-7 overall, losing three games by
SECTION 60
#17327972542274650-527: The university has reaped 67 years' worth of benefits from a football program that has helped put UNA on the map as one of the nation's premier collegiate powers. As an example, North Alabama boasts the highest winningest percentage since 1990 of any collegiate football program from the football tradition-rich state of Alabama at 72.29. UNA's football success has come through the combined efforts of eight different head coaches, more than 80 assistant coaches and more than 1,200 student-athletes. Since Hal Self guided
4725-481: The university. It houses the Offices of Advancement, Alumni Relations, and Communications and Marketing. Constructed in 1930, 601 Cramer Way houses UNA's senior administrative offices. The building is named for David Bibb Graves (1873–1942), who served as Alabama's governor from 1927 to 1931 and 1935–39. Graves proved unsuccessful in his early political career, but eventually he used his connections and leadership in
4800-484: Was UNA's 15th overall playoff appearance and the Lions' 27 NCAA playoff wins are also the second most by any current Division II institution. North Alabama's Michael Johnson was named National Defensive Player of the Year by Daktronics and D2Football.com, lineman Montrell Craft was a national finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award as Division II's top lineman and quarterback Harrison Beck was a national finalist for
4875-408: Was adopted, is distinguished as the only president in the university's history to preside over three institutional name changes: Florence State Teachers College, followed by Florence State College in 1957, and, roughly a decade later, by Florence State University. The change of name also was accompanied by an extensive reorganization of the university's academic and administrative structure, including
4950-549: Was announced as the new head coach to lead the program through the transition to Division I. The Lions earned a birth in the ASUN Tournament Championship game in 2021 before falling to Liberty 79-75. In his first 10 seasons as head baseball coach at the University of North Alabama, Mike Keehn helped lead the Lions back into the regional and national spotlight on the NCAA Division II level with
5025-504: Was assisted by two other professors. The first board of trustees had a total of 50 members, including two Native Americans , a Choctaw politician and a Cherokee leader. In 1830, Turner Saunders , a native of Virginia, was the first president of the board of trustees. Saunders' mansion, built around 1826, still stands in Lawrence County. Among the many distant trustees was John Coffee of Florence, friend of Andrew Jackson. Among
5100-495: Was completed in 2014 and is located between Rogers Hall and Keller Hall at the north end of Court Street. The $ 8 million complex houses the University Success Center, Student Financial Services, the UNA branch of Listerhill Credit Union, Starbucks and Chick-fil-A. The Wendell W. Gunn University Commons was designed by Hugo Dante and Create Architects, and was built by Consolidated Construction. In March 2018,
5175-409: Was dropped at the university. For the next 21 years, there were several efforts made to return football to the Florence campus by writing letters to the administration and gathering names on petitions. Those efforts finally proved successful on March 30, 1949, when President Dr. E.B. Norton held a student assembly to announce that football would return to campus that September. Since that September day,
5250-706: Was founded as LaGrange College in 1830. It was reestablished in 1872 as the first state-supported teachers college south of the Ohio River . A year later, it became one of the nation's first coeducational colleges. LaGrange College opened on January 11, 1830, in a mountain hamlet a few miles south of Leighton in northeast Colbert County, Alabama . LaGrange means "The Barn" in French. Twenty-one local college trustees were listed in Acts of Alabama, Eleventh Annual Session. The town of LaGrange and its college were sacked and burned by Union troops in 1863. But by then, however,
5325-484: Was known as the 'golden age' of that institution). Ross also is the namesake of Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas . The American Civil War bestowed much hardship on the institution. Robert A. Young, president of Florence Wesleyan at the time, is credited with saving the institution from destruction. Florence Wesleyan alumnus Lawrence "Sul" Ross, the future Texas governor and university educator, served as
5400-456: Was made possible by 1955 alumna Laura McAnally Harrison and her husband, Donald C. Harrison, of Cincinnati. The plaza, constructed around a large Italian limestone fountain, occupies the former intersections of Morrison and Wesleyan Avenues and Seminary Street between 601 Cramer Way, Keller Hall and the George H. Carroll Lion Habitat , which houses UNA's live mascots. Harrison Plaza now constitutes
5475-490: Was named Flowers Hall. Ed Billingham was hired as the school's second men's basketball coach in 1948 and he directed the Lions for the next 24 years, winning 249 games. He also led the Lions to the NAIA National Tournament in 1960 and 1962. Bill E. Jones was hired as UNA's third basketball head coach in 1972 and had a 28–17 record in two seasons. Lion basketball alumnus Bill L. Jones was hired in 1974 and
5550-438: Was put in place by Eddie Flowers. After coming to UNA (then Florence State Teachers College) in 1929, Flowers began the school's athletic program in 1932 and coached the first basketball team that season. He remained as basketball coach until 1948 and as athletic director until 1969. When the Lions' new basketball facility was opened in 1972, it was only fitting that it be named for the founder of Lion athletics - Eddie Flowers - and
5625-642: Was selected as the Division II Coach of the Quarter Century and the 1995 UNA squad was chosen as Division II's Best Team of the Quarter Century (1972–97). Two Lion players, linebacker Ronald McKinnon (1995) and quarterback Will Hall (2003) won the Harlon Hill Trophy. Center Lance Ancar won the Division II Rimington Trophy as the division's top center in 2005. McKinnon and quarterback Cody Gross have been inducted into
#226773