Director of Athletics

Dr. E. J. Brophy

Progress. That’s the word that best describes the UWA department of athletics since Dr. E. J. Brophy’s arrival as Director of Athletics on June 1, 2006.

At UWA, Brophy oversees the institutions 10 NCAA Division II sports that compete in the Gulf South Conference, as well as Men’s and Women’s Rodeo.

Brophy enters his fourth year as Director of Athletics at the University of West Alabama after serving as Assistant Athletic Director for External Affairs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham from March 2005 through May 2006.

Brophy has led the charge in improving UWA’s athletics facilities, including renovations to Tiger Football Stadium, the UWA Football Practice Facility, the Tartt Baseball Complex, Pruitt Gymnasium and the UWA Softball Facility. These upgrades have included the erection of a new softball lockerroom, the creation of the Cross Country Clubhouse and upgrades to lockerrooms for several sports such as football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball. Brophy also supervised completion and final funding for the 41,000 square foot Dora Dahlberg Beard Indoor Practice Facility for baseball and softball.

In the area of fundraising, Brophy enhanced the university’s booster club by giving it a new name – The Tiger Club – which along with a newly developed corporate sponsorship program has procured over $750,000 since its inception in 2006. Brophy also was instrumental in negotiating corporate partnerships with Coca-Cola and Adidas, as well as new radio broadcast agreements and expanding the visibility of the overall sports program.

During Brophy’s tenure at UWA, the Tigers have won two Gulf South East Division baseball titles (2007, 2009), participated in two NCAA baseball regionals (2008, 2009), made the NCAA men’s tennis tournament for the first time in school history (2009) and tied the school record for softball wins (2009). Additionally, the Tiger volleyball team was the last team in America to lose a match in 2007, after a stellar 18-0 start en route to a 27-6 final record.

Brophy has also served as a member of the NCAA Division II Regional Baseball Committee since 2007.

Brophy, who has more than 17 years of experience as a professional athlete, collegiate coach and university athletic administrator, joined the UAB athletic department in January 2003 as Assistant Director of Athletic Development. A Montgomery, Alabama, native, Brophy was responsible for athletic fundraising, day-to-day operations of the Blazer Club scholarship organization, game-day hospitality for donors at Blazer football and basketball games and various other duties. In March 2005 Brophy was named Assistant Athletic Director for External Affairs and continued heading the Blazer Club Scholarship Fund and all basketball and football priority seating.

 After an all-conference baseball career at UAB from 1989-1992, Brophy was drafted as a 37^th-round selection by the Philadelphia Phillies and spent four seasons in their minor league system, reaching the Triple-A level in 1995. At the conclusion of his playing career, Brophy was named assistant baseball coach at Samford University in 1996 and held the same post at the University of Montevallo in 1998. He was the head baseball coach at Wallace Community College in Selma, Alabama, from August 1998 until January 2003. In recognition of his 100th collegiate coaching victory in 2002, he was named to the Alabama and American Baseball Coaches Century Club.

 Brophy graduated from UAB in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education. He earned his Master of Arts degree in Physical Education from UAB in 1998. He received a PhD from UAB in Educational Leadership in August 2009.

 Brophy is married to the former Cindy Wooten of Birmingham, Alabama. They have two children. Son Brooks, 10, and daughter Bailey, 7.