UAB FOOTBALL SET TO ADD TWO NFL VETERANS TO DEFENSIVE STAFF

By Steve Irvine

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - December 30, 2024

UAB is set to add two more pieces to a restructured defensive coaching staff with the expectd additions of NFL veteran coaches Brent Vieselmeyer and Sam Mills III. Both have served on NFL staffs alongside incoming UAB defensive coordinator Steve Russ.

Trent Dilfer added four new coaches on the defensive side, including Russ, in December. Former Alabama State defensive coordinator Ryan Lewis Sr. is expected to coach the cornerbacks, Vieselmeyer will coach the linebackers and Mills will be the defensive line coach. No official announcement has been made about the status of UAB safeties coach C.J. Cox. But Cox has been recruiting throughout the month of December, which could be an indication that he will remain on staff.

Lewis is the only new coach without NFL experience. Vieselmeyer began his coaching career as a high school coach in California and Colorado. He served as the head coach at Valor Christian High in Colorado, where he coached Christian McCaffrey. He was the defensive coordinator at Houston Baptist University during that program’s first two seasons before joining the Oakland Raiders staff from 2015-17. He spent a year at Kansas as an analyst and another year as the head coach at Santa Margarita Catholic High in Southern California. He was on the Washington Redskins staff, along with Russ, from 2020-23.

Mills is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Mills Jr., who passed away in 2005. The younger Mills was with the Carolina Panthers from 2005-19.  He began on the strength and conditioning staff and worked his way toward becoming the defensive line coach. He moved to the Washington Redskins for two seasons, serving on the same staff with Russ and Vieselmeyer, before losing his job just before the 2022 season.

The hiring of Vieselmeyer and Mills has not been officially announced by UAB.

In other UAB football news:

*Wide receiver Corri Milliner announced on social media that he was withdrawing from the transfer portal and will remain at UAB. Milliner, a redshirt freshman, caught 24 passes for 416 yards with three touchdowns. All but one of his catches came in the final six games and he had 13 catches for 216 yards with two touchdowns in the last two games of the season. His decision to remain at UAB is huge, especially considering the position is depleted by transfer portal defections.

*Former UAB cornerback Ricky Lee III announced that he will sign with Sacramento State. Lee played in 12 games with one start as a true freshman in 2023 but was limited to two games this season after suffering a knee injury during fall camp. Lee had 20 tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups as a true freshman.

*Former junior college tight end Bryce Damous and offensive tackle Quez Yates announced they will use an extra year of eligibility to remain in college football. Both announced they will enter the transfer portal. Damous played in 38 games with 28 starts since coming to UAB in 2021. Yates was a two-year starter on the offensive line. Both participated in Senior Day festivities at UAB.