A low-end risk for a few severe thunderstorms has been added to the forecast for all of Alabama for Wednesday night into Thursday, which is Thanksgiving Day.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center is now forecasting a Level 1 out of 5 risk for severe weather statewide on both days.
A Level 1 (or marginal) risk means isolated severe storms will be possible.
Unfortunately, the timing looks to be mainly during the overnight hours for those in northern and central Alabama. That means it’s time to make sure you have a reliable way to receive warnings that will wake you up if needed (using your phone or a weather radio are two good options).
Wednesday’s risk, shown below, includes a good part of north Alabama and a chunk of central Alabama:
Here is the forecast for severe weather for Wednesday. If storms were to develop it would be late in the day into the overnight hours.SPC
Thursday’s forecast, shown at the very top of this post, includes more of the state, from central Alabama all the way to the Gulf Coast.
The National Weather Service said the strongest storms could bring wind gusts up to 60 mph and small hail. There will also be a low — but not zero — risk for a tornado.
Forecasters expect a strong cold front to move into the state from the northwest late Wednesday night into the early hours of Thursday. The storms could affect north and central Alabama during the overnight hours and then reach southern Alabama during the morning on Thursday.
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The weather service expects temperatures to rapidly fall behind the cold front, with some of the coldest weather of the fall expected over the weekend into early next week.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a high probability of below-average temperatures for Alabama through next week. Below is the six- to 10-day temperature outlook to start out the month of December:
Below-average temperatures are expected in Alabama from Dec. 1-5, and possibly beyond.Climate Prediction Center
The United Methodist Church has filed a new lawsuit against a breakaway beach church that dropped denominational affiliation from its charter but kept two appointed clergy on staff and banned United Methodist officials from setting foot on the campus popular with both beach dwellers and tourists.
The Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church has filed a lawsuit against Perdido Bay Methodist Church, challenging the amendment to its incorporation documents that declare it is no longer affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
On Oct. 31, an attorney for the church sent a letter to the conference giving official notice that Perdido Bay Methodist is no longer a member of the denomination.
“As you are aware, our client previously submitted clear documentation outlining its doctrinal and theological concerns when considering separation last year,” wrote attorney Jonathan Bailie of the National Center for Life and Liberty.
“Any attempt by the conference to access church property will result in a request for immediate departure, followed by removal by law enforcement for trespassing if necessary,” Bailie wrote in his letter to the conference.
That drew a heated response from Panhandle District Superintendent Jean Tippit of the Alabama-West Florida Conference.
“That unholy threat causes me great concern for a multitude of reasons,” Tippit wrote to church members, urging them to join her as she led a United Methodist alternative Sunday meeting location at Big Lagoon State Park.
The Alabama-West Florida Conference filed a lawsuit Nov. 21 against the Perdido Bay Methodist board of trustees and two pastors who had been appointed by the conference, Levi Gardner and Scott Hohn, who stayed with the church as it voted to leave the denomination.
The conference asks an Escambia County judge for “declaratory relief, quiet title, ejectment,” in an effort to regain control of the church property at 13660 Innerarity Point Road in Pensacola, east of Alabama’s Ono Island.
Perdido Bay Methodist was one of more than 40 churches in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle whose requests to leave the denomination were stalled before the Dec. 31, 2023 disaffiliation deadline. Paragraph 2553, a special provision allowing disaffiliation due to disagreement over issues such as gay marriage, expired at that point.
The United Methodist General Conference voted in May 2024 to reverse its longstanding bans on gay marriage and ordination of LGBTQ clergy.
“The oral and written misrepresentations made by the conference to convince and effectively trick our client to not hold a vote to leave the denomination under rule 2553 while such right existed severely prejudiced and permanently injured our client,” Bailie wrote. “Since the time of the conference’s misrepresentations, the General Conference amended the Book of Discipline, changing its views on marriage and gender that have been held by our client since its establishment, the denomination for over two centuries, and by the church for millennia. These changes are in direct conflict with our client’s sincerely held religious beliefs, necessitating their immediate separation from the denomination.”
Churches that were not allowed to leave have adopted a new tactic: either suing the conference, saying the church property belongs to the congregation, not the denomination, or simply voting to change the church’s legal documents that have any mention of the United Methodist Church.
United Methodist Bishop Jonathan Holston, who took over as head of the Alabama-West Florida Conference in September, issued a public letter on the Perdido Bay legal standoff.
“Regrettably, in the wake of a season of disaffiliation and division for our denomination, the Alabama-West Florida Conference finds itself dealing with a serious legal matter involving Perdido Bay United Methodist Church,” Holston wrote. “A group of clergy and laity of Perdido Bay UMC has taken unauthorized and illegal actions to change the deed to the church property and prevent conference leadership from entering the property. These improper actions violate the principles that govern our denomination, including the historic Trust Clause.
“We are deeply saddened to report to you that the Board of Trustees of the Alabama-West Florida Conference, left with no other choice, has filed a lawsuit against individual trustees of Perdido Bay UMC who participated in these actions, as well as against two former Alabama-West Florida clergy. The lawsuit stems from their attempt to sever ties between Perdido Bay UMC and the conference. While we are confident in the strength of our legal position, it is our prayer that reconciliation and understanding will ultimately prevail, and that we can move forward in faithfulness to our shared mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
Thanksgiving dinner is a cherished American tradition where gratitude is served with a side of stuffing and mashed potatoes and, sometimes, a simmering debate with your pilgrim hat-wearing uncle over whether climate change is a hoax or an existential threat to humanity and the planet.
The stakes have never been higher: 2024 is on target to shatter global temperature records, with the entire planet experiencing its hottest year on record. This year will also likely be the first to breach the dreaded 1.5-degree Celsius threshold (2.7F), the accumulative global temperature rise since before the Industrial Revolution.
Scientists believe the symbolic target is when extreme weather like hurricanes, drought, floods, and wildfires will become more frequent, unpredictable, and dangerous. They also predict the breach will push humanity past irreversible tipping points that will change weather patterns, endanger species and ecosystems, and place our food and water systems at severe risk.
The impacts are impossible to ignore. In 2024, climate-related disasters cost the United States more than $61.1 billion in the first ten months alone, with 24 separate billion-dollar weather events—a new record. Since 1980, the U.S. has experienced 400 disasters costing over $1 billion (inflation-adjusted), events costing $2.785 trillion, according to federal records. Over 80% of those costs have occurred since 2010.
Navigating these conversations can feel like descending into Dante’s Inferno: Uncle Joe’s hot takes on climate denial, your dad’s fiery defense of fossil fuels, and Aunt Karen’s scorching disdain for electric cars. Fear not, intrepid dinner guest—there’s a way to make it through with your dignity and to-go dessert intact.
A2023 Climate Access roundtable offers some easy-to-remember and respectful tips you should try to use even if someone flicks cranberry sauce at you while pointing out that fossil fuels powered the Industrial Revolution, and you should be grateful. The key: Stay focused on facts, even when emotions run high.
“Engage loved ones by listening first,” says panelistArunima Krishna, an associate professor at Boston University, geologist and science writer Karin Kirk, and moderator and Climate Access deputy director Meredith Herr. “Listen to what folks are saying and what pieces of misinformation they’ve been exposed to. This is crucial because there are so many different pieces of misinformation that are being targeted to various groups across the country and the world.”
The experts recommend sharing personal experiences and highlighting community successes. Ask thoughtful questions about others’ perspectives while questioning their sources. Try to meet them where there’s likely to be some agreement, such as ensuring clean air, water, and cheaper energy.
You may have to abandon the conversation if you’re talking with someone who doesn’t care about those essential elements of human survival. If you need to create a diversion, pretend to choke on your food or state loudly that the turkey is undercooked. Both are highly effective.
Of course, all this civility can be difficult if you’re outnumbered by people unwilling to engage you respectfully.
“You are also not obligated to remain in the conversation,” explains aclimate change discussion guide written by various environmental academics and advocates for the Yale Center for Environmental Communication, who also suggest trying to encourage your family and friends to shift to a plant-based diet, flying and driving less, and becoming activists.
Okay.
Sometimes, usually because of wine, you have to confront the swirling chaos of denial and misinformation head-on. But you’ll need a strategy as layered as Dante’s descent into the circles of hell.
Here is a selection of responses to climate change denial claims you might hear across the Thanksgiving table, rated from Gluttony (lighthearted) to Wrath (direct) and if you’re feeling really spicy, Treachery (sharp and sarcastic).
Choose your path wisely.
Dinner’s on the Dog ( Housewife Serving Lunch )Getty Images
“Climate change is natural; it’s been happening for millions of years.”
Gluttony: Are you sure? While the climate haschanged in the past, the current rate isway faster than anything natural—hundreds of times faster. Doesn’t that seem unusual and worrying to you?
Wrath: The climate has always changed, but those changes used to happen over hundreds of thousands or millions of years. What we’re seeing now isunprecedented in speed and caused by human activities like burning fossil fuels. Natural? Not likely.
Treachery: If you think humans pumping billions of tons of CO2 into the air every year isn’t a factor, you’re essentially saying you don’t understand even high school-level science. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that lets sunlight enter Earth’s atmosphere but trapsheat that tries to escape into space. It’s like putting a blanket over the planet.
Bonus: CO2 does help plants grow, buttoo much of it causes drought, crop failures, and extreme weather caused by trapped heat. In those conditions, plants don’t do well.
“Scientists don’t even agree on climate change.”
Gluttony: About 97% ofclimate scientists agree humans are causing climate change. Doesn’t that sound like a pretty solid consensus?
Wrath: That’s just wrong. The overwhelming majority of climate experts agree on the human impact of climate change based on mountains of independent evidence. Pretending otherwise ignores reality.
Treachery: If you think 3% of fringe scientists outweighs 97% of experts, let me guess: you’d take medical advice from YouTubers over your doctor, too? That’s next-level denial.
“Humans can’t change the climate—it’s too big.”
Gluttony: Do you really think that? Humans have increasedCO2 levels by over 50% since the Industrial Revolution. It has been measured.
Wrath: Nah. Human activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation drive massive changes, from higher temperatures to melting glaciers and rising sea levels. Just look at the data—it’s undeniable.
Treachery: Saying humans can’t affect the climate is like saying a match can’t start a forest fire. It only takes a little spark—and humans have been torching this planet for centuries. Our weather systems are delicate. About 90% of tropical storms develop in 79-degree water or higher. Freshwater boils at 212 degrees but not at 210 degrees. It freezes at 32 degrees but is still water at 31 degrees. Your body temperature is 98 degrees. But at 100 degrees, you have a low-grade fever. Another one or two degrees over that, you’re sick.
Given the billions of humans using energy andcars burning fuel, I’d say we make a huge difference.
“We can’t rely on renewables—they’re too expensive and the sun doesn’t shine at night.”
Gluttony: In many places, solar and wind are nowcheaper than coal and gas. Doesn’t that make them worth considering for cheaper energy bills?
Wrath: That’s outdated thinking. Renewables are increasingly cost-competitive, reliable, andgetting cheaper. Asbattery storage and grid technology advances, capturing energy for days when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining will be much easier. Besides, fossil fuels are the realeconomic drag.
Treachery: So you’re saying we should stick with expensive, polluting energy that’s running out? That’s like refusing a smartphone because rotary phones were acceptable in the 1950s.
“Green energy policies will ruin the economy and cost jobs.”
Gluttony: I’m pretty sure renewables createmore jobs than fossil fuels, especially in solar and wind. Wouldn’t that help the economy?
Wrath: Actually, green energy is already creating thousands of jobs in manufacturing, installation, and maintenance. Thefossil fuel industry is shrinking—it’s the economy that’s moving forward.
Treachery: If clinging to dying industries is your smart policy idea, why not bring back VHS tapes and typewriters while you’re at it? Jobs in renewables are the future. And guess what?Elon Musk agrees.
“Electric cars are just as bad as regular cars because of the materials and energy they use.”
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Gluttony: That’s interesting. I thought electric cars, even with current energy grids, producefewer emissions over their lifetimes than gas cars. Aren’t they at least a step in the right direction while we improve energy sources?
Wrath: Actually, studies show electric cars are significantly cleaner over their lifespan, even accounting for material sourcing and electricity from coal. Plus, there’s ongoing work to improve battery recycling and sourcing practices, which is more than can be said for fossil fuel cars.
Treachery: Are you telling me that your solution is to stick with gas cars forever, which burn fuel every single mile? Theypollute children’s lungs as they pass schools. They endanger the health ofentire neighborhoods, like those next to interstates and ports. That’s like saying eating fast food is fine because salads sometimes come in plastic containers. If we wait for perfection, nothing will change. Do you think the printing press or the first personal computers were perfect? People didn’t want them. They changed the world.
The parachute used by the hijacker known as D.B. Cooper to leap out of a Boeing plane with $200,000 in cash after taking the passengers and crew hostage more than 50 years ago may have been found.
Sunday marked the 53rd anniversary of the only unsolved hijacking in U.S. aviation history. Now, years after the FBI declared the case inactive, the agency may be having another, informal look, examining evidence that has recently come to light, reports Cowboy State Daily in Wyoming. The evidence is a parachute found in an outbuilding on the family property of Richard McCoy II, whose children have long suspected their father was Cooper, they told the outlet.
The unassuming-looking man who would come to be known as D.B. Cooper bought a one-way ticket on Northwest Orient Airlines from Portland, Ore., to Seattle under the name Dan Cooper on Nov. 24, 1971. Just after the craft became airborne, Cooper handed a flight attendant a note saying he had a bomb, then flashed a briefcase full of crisscrossed wires and other items. He demanded four parachutes and $200,000 in $20 bills, which were given to him upon landing in Seattle. The 36 passengers were released in exchange, and Cooper demanded the plane take off again, along with several crew members, destination Mexico City.
Just after 8 p.m., though, Cooper leaped out of the back of the plane with a parachute and the ransom money, and disappeared into the night between Seattle and Reno, Nevada. Years later, three bundles of bills from the heist washed up along the shores of the Columbia River. After a years-long investigation yielded clues but no definitive answers, the FBI closed down the case in 2016.
McCoy, who is known to have pulled off an almost identical heist five months later, over Utah, has long been on the FBI’s shortlist. He was arrested for that, broke out of jail, and was eventually killed in a police shootout.
The mystery has tantalized many over the years, spawning books, documentaries and even a conference. Gryder, an aviation-obsessed YouTuber who is a retired pilot and skydiver, has been documenting his search on his YouTube channel.
McCoy’s grown children, Chanté and Richard “Rick” McCoy III reached out to him after the death of their mother, Karen, in 2020. They had held back before then because they suspected she was complicit.
The FBI did not immediately answer the Daily News’s inquiry on Monday.
Kalen DeBoer will be the 23rd man to serve as head coach for either Alabama or Auburn in the modern version of the Iron Bowl, first played in 1948 after the series took a four-decade hiatus.
First-year head coaches (including interim head coaches) on both sides are a combined 5-17 in the Iron Bowl, and just one Alabama coach in the last 30 years has won his first game against Auburn. The Crimson Tide is a double-digit favorite in Saturday’s game, so there’s a good chance DeBoer bucks that trend.
DeBoer also has one benefit many of his predecessors did not — he’s the first Alabama coach who will make his Iron Bowl debut at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Nick Saban, Mike Shula, Dennis Franchione and Mike DuBose all had to face Auburn for the first time at Jordan-Hare Stadium; Bill Curry, Ray Perkins, Paul “Bear” Bryant, J.B. “Ears” Whitworth and Harold “Red” Drew coached in their first Iron Bowl when the game was still played in Birmingham every year.
On the Auburn side, every full-time (non-interim) first-year head coach since the 1980s has made his Iron Bowl debut at Jordan-Hare Stadium, though only two of them won the game. That list includes Hugh Freeze, Bryan Harsin, Gus Malzahn, Gene Chizik, Tommy Tuberville and Terry Bowden.
(NOTE: This list does not include Steve Sarkisian, who was acting head coach for Alabama’s 42-13 victory in the 2020 Iron Bowl because Saban was quarantined after testing positive for COVID. The win went on Saban’s record, not Sarkisian’s.)
Here’s a look back at all the Alabama and Auburn head coaches since 1948, and how their fared in their first Iron Bowl:
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze reacts to a penalty call during the second half of the Iron Bowl against Alabama Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett | [email protected])Julie Bennett | [email protected]
Hugh Freeze, Auburn (2023) — Lost 27-24 in Auburn
Freeze came about as close as you can in pulling off an upset in his first Iron Bowl (and what turned out to be Saban’s last), with Alabama scoring the game-winning touchdown on fourth-and-31 with 32 seconds remaining. Freeze gets his second crack at the Iron Bowl on Saturday, this time as a double-digit underdog against DeBoer’s Crimson Tide.
Auburn interim head coach Carnell Williams leads the team onto the field before an NCAA college football game against Alabama, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP
Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, Auburn (2022) — Lost 49-27 in Tuscaloosa
Williams took over for the fired Bryan Harsin at the end of October and had the Tigers playing inspired football down the stretch. Auburn actually scored first and was within a touchdown late in the second quarter before Bryce Young and the Crimson Tide pulled away. Williams’ four-game stint as interim coach ended with a record of 2-2.
Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin looks to the video board during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Alabama, Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)AP
Bryan Harsin, Auburn (2021) — Lost 24-22 in 4 OT in Auburn
Even though it was a loss, the 2021 Iron Bowl might have been Harsin’s finest hour in his brief Auburn tenure. The Tigers led 10-0 into the fourth quarter before Alabama got a field goal and then used a 12-play, 97-yard drive in the final two minutes to tie. Both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime, both kicked field goals in the second and both succeeded on two-point conversions in the third. After the Tigers’ two-pointer failed in overtime 4, the Crimson Tide converted for the walk-off win.
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn grimaces during the second quarter of the No. 1 Alabama at No. 4 Auburn Iron Bowl NCAA football game on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Vasha Hunt/AL.com)ph
Gus Malzahn, Auburn (2013) — Won 34-28 in Auburn
In the wildest Iron Bowl finish of them all, Malzahn’s Tigers beat the top-ranked Crimson Tide on the “Kick Six” at Jordan-Hare and prevented Saban’s team from competing for a third straight national championship. Auburn wound up winning the SEC title and losing a closely-fought BCS championship game to Florida State. Malzahn went 3-5 in the Iron Bowl, with additional wins in 2017 and 2019 — all of them against Saban.
Auburn’s Gene Chizik and Alabama’s Nick Saban meet midfield before the game at Jordan-Hare Stadium Friday November 27, 2009 in Auburn, Ala. (The Birmingham News , Hal Yeager)ph
Gene Chizik, Auburn (2009) — Lost 26-21 in Auburn
Alabama had a few close calls on its way to an undefeated season and national championship in 2009, including a 26-21 victory in Auburn in which it put together a long scoring drive for the winning touchdown in the closing minutes. Chizik’s team finished 8-5 that year, then signed Cam Newton in the offseason to spark its own national title run. Chizik’s lone win in four Iron Bowls came in Tuscaloosa in 2010, a 28-27 rally known as the “Camback.”
Alabama coach Nick Saban wears a long face near the end of a 17-10 loss to Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2007. (Press-Register file photo by Dave Martin)ph
Nick Saban, Alabama (2007) — Lost 17-10 in Auburn
Saban’s Iron Bowl debut also came in Auburn, and was the sixth straight victory in the series for Tommy Tuberville and the Tigers. However, Saban drove Tuberville out of the SEC with a 36-0 win in Tuscaloosa in 2008 and ended up 12-5 in the Iron Bowl. Four of those losses came at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Alabama head coach Mike Shula and Brodie Croyle review a replay against Auburn in the first half of action Saturday Nov. 22, 2003 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Mobile Register file photo by John David Mercer) ph
Mike Shula, Alabama (2003) — Lost 28-23 in Auburn
Shula’s Iron Bowl coaching experience began with an 80-yard Cadillac Williams touchdown on the first play of the game at Jordan-Hare, and it didn’t get much better from there. He ultimately went 0-4 vs. Auburn, though every game was relatively close. A 28-18 Tigers win in 2005 — in which they sacked Alabama’s Brodie Croyle 11 times — was the most-decisive.
Alabama coach Dennis Franchione celebrates his team’s 31-7 victory over Auburn, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2001 in Auburn, Ala. (Mobile Register file photo by G.M. Andrews) ph
Dennis Franchione, Alabama (2001) — Won 31-7 in Auburn
In one of the more surprising results for a first-year Alabama coach in the Iron Bowl, Franchione’s team — which came into the game at 4-5 — routed a 7-2 Auburn team at Jordan-Hare behind quarterback Andrew Zow. The Tigers returned the favor with a 17-7 win in Tuscaloosa the following year, in an equally shocking upset. Franchione left for Texas A&M shortly afterward, leaving him with a 1-1 record in the Iron Bowl.
Tommy Tuberville reacts to a play during the 1999 Iron Bowl, which Auburn lost 28-17 at Jordan Hare Stadium. (Alabama Media Group file photo)ph
Tommy Tuberville, Auburn (1999) — Lost 28-17 in Auburn
Tuberville’s first Auburn team was the first to lose the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium, but he more than made up for it in later years — including the famous six-game winning streak from 2002-07. He finished his Auburn tenure with a record of 7-3 vs. Alabama, one of just two Tigers coaches with a winning record in the Iron Bowl. His .700 winning percentage in the Iron Bowl is fifth all-time behind four Alabama coaches — Paul “Bear” Bryant, Gene Stallings, Harold “Red” Drew and Nick Saban.
Bill Oliver, an Alabama graduate and longtime Crimson Tide assistant, served as Auburn’s interim head coach in the 1998 Iron Bowl. (Tom Hauck/Allsport)Getty Images
Bill Oliver, Auburn (1998) — Lost 31-17 in Birmingham
Oliver took over after Terry Bowden resigned at mid-season, and remains the only Alabama or Auburn graduate to serve as head coach of his alma mater’s rival school in the Iron Bowl. In the last Iron Bowl played at Legion Field, the Tigers jumped out to a 17-0 lead before Alabama scored 31 unanswered points. Oliver, who played at Alabama in the early 1960s and was an assistant coach for 15 years before leaving to join the Auburn staff in 1996, went 2-3 in his five-game stint as the Tigers’ interim coach.
Mike DuBose lost his first Iron Bowl in 1997, but went 2-2 in four years vs. Auburn. (Mobile Register file photo by John David Mercer)ph
Mike DuBose, Alabama (1997) — Lost 18-17 in Auburn
DuBose is one of four Alabama graduates to serve as head coach in the Iron Bowl, and nearly pulled off a huge upset in his first. The Crimson Tide led 17-15 in the final minute at Jordan-Hare Stadium, but Ed Scissum fumbled on an ill-conceived screen pass to help set up Jaret Holmes’ game-winning field goal. DuBose was victorious in the 1998 and 1999 Iron Bowls before his Alabama coaching career ended with a 9-0 loss to Auburn at Bryant-Denny Stadium at the end of the 2000 season, when he was fired with a 3-8 record.
Coach Terry Bowden stands with players David Milford (38), Terry Daniel (36) and Jason Taylor (66) at the team entrance tunnel at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, before the start of the 1993 Iron Bowl. (Alabama Media Group file photo)ph
Terry Bowden, Auburn (1993) — Won 22-14 in Auburn
The first Auburn coach to win his Iron Bowl debut, Bowden’s victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium vs. reigning national champion Alabama in 1993 finished off an 11-0 season for the Tigers. Because Auburn was under NCAA sanctions at the time, the 1993 Iron Bowl is also the most-recent that was not televised. Bowden’s Auburn teams won the 1995 and 1997 Iron Bowls, and lost in 1994 and 1996, with none of the five games in which he coached against Alabama decided by more than eight points. At 3-2, he is one of just two Auburn coaches with a winning record in the Iron Bowl.
Gene Stallings went 5-2 in the Iron Bowl as Alabama’s head coach from 1990-96. (Huntsville Times file photo by Glenn Baeske)ph
Gene Stallings, Alabama (1990) — Won 16-7 in Birmingham
Stallings lost his first three games at Alabama, but turned the program around quickly with victories later in the year against Tennessee and most notably Auburn. The Crimson Tide’s 16-7 victory at Legion Field snapped a four-game losing streak in the Iron Bowl. Stallings’ teams also beat Auburn in Birmingham in 1991, 1992 and 1994, losing at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 1993 and 1995. Still, his .714 winning percentage (5 wins, 2 losses) in seven Iron Bowls is tied for second all-time behind only his mentor, Paul “Bear” Bryant.
Bill Curry went 0-3 in the Iron Bowl as Alabama’s head coach from 1987-89. (Birmingham News file photo)ph
Bill Curry, Alabama (1987) — Lost 10-0 in Birmingham
Curry’s inability to beat Auburn is what defined his three-year tenure at Alabama, in which he was largely successful otherwise. His first Iron Bowl was also the last true neutral site game in the series, as the 50/50 ticket split was done away with the following year. Curry’s Crimson Tide teams also lost 15-10 to Auburn in Birmingham in 1988 (which was designated an Alabama home game) and 30-20 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 1989, the first modern Iron Bowl played on either of the two campuses. With Shula and J.B. “Ears” Whitworth, Curry is one of three Alabama coaches who went winless in the Iron Bowl.
Ray Perkins, shown here in 1983, was 2-2 in the Iron Bowl as Alabama’s head coach. (Birmingham News file photo)ph
Ray Perkins, Alabama (1983) — Lost 23-20 in Birmingham
Perkins — a star receiver at Alabama in the mid-1960s — oversaw the Crimson Tide during what might be the most-competitive period in Iron Bowl history, which included four games decided by a total of 11 points. His first team lost 23-20 as Auburn’s Bo Jackson ran wild at Legion Field, but scored narrow victories in 1984 (17-15) and 1985 (25-23) before losing 21-17 in 1986. Perkins departed Alabama to return to the NFL after his fourth Iron Bowl, which left him with a 2-2 record against the Tigers.
Auburn coach Pat Dye, right, is shown with mentor Paul “Bear” Bryant prior to the 1981 Iron Bowl at Legion Field in Birmingham. Dye went 6-6 in 12 Iron Bowls. (Birmingham News file photo)ph
Pat Dye, Auburn (1981) — Lost 28-17 in Birmingham
As the story goes, Dye told an Auburn trustee during the interview process that it would take him “60 minutes” to beat Alabama, which the Tigers had not done in nine years. It took a little longer than that, as his first Auburn team fell 28-17 in the game immortalized as Bryant’s record 315th career victory. Nevertheless, Dye’s Tigers won the next two and six of the next eight Iron Bowls, including the watershed 1982 victory in Birmingham and the historic 1989 win in Auburn. Dye’s last three Auburn teams lost the Iron Bowl, however, giving him a career record of 6-6 vs. Alabama.
Doug Barfield, shown here with Alabama’s Paul “Bear” Bryant in 1976, went 0-5 in the Iron Bowl as Auburn’s head coach. (Birmingham News file photo)ph
Doug Barfield, Auburn (1976) — Lost 38-7 in Birmingham
Barfield holds the dubious distinction of coaching in the most Iron Bowls without winning one, going 0-5 before he was fired at the end of the 1980 season. He had not only the burden of replacing the legendary Ralph “Shug” Jordan as Auburn’s coach, but also dealing with Alabama at the apex of the Bryant dynasty. Barfield’s first team lost 38-7 to Alabama at Legion Field, then 48-21 in 1977 and 34-16 in 1978 before a 25-18 loss in 1979 in which Auburn actually led early in the fourth quarter. His last team lost 34-18 to Alabama in not only his last game at Auburn, but his last as a college head coach despite being just 44 at the time (he’s still living at age 88).
Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, shown here with assistant coach Howard Schnellenberger in 1961, went 19-6 in the Iron Bowl in 25 years with the Crimson Tide. (Alabama Media Group file photo)ph
Paul “Bear” Bryant, Alabama (1958) — Lost 14-8 in Birmingham
Bryant set so many records at Alabama, but among the most-impressive is his 19-6 record in the Iron Bowl that includes separate winning streaks of nine, five and four games over Auburn. His first Crimson Tide team lost by just six to the Tigers at Legion Field, after the previous four Alabama squads had been outscored 128-7 in the series. After losing that first Iron Bowl, Bryant’s Alabama teams not only won the next four, they didn’t allow Auburn to score in any of them. He also went 13-5 head-to-head with Jordan, with only one of the losses by more than one score.
J.B. “Ears” Whitworth, Alabama’s head football coach from 1955-57, was 0-3 in the Iron Bowl.
(Photo courtesy of the Paul W. Bryant Museum)Paul W. Bryant Museum photo
J.B. “Ears” Whitworth, Alabama (1955) — Lost 26-0 in Birmingham
Whitworth’s three-year tenure was a miserable 4-24-2 slog that included three straight losses to Auburn by a combined 100-7. The debut year shutout was bad enough, but his last Iron Bowl ended in a 40-0 blanking that is the worst beating Alabama has ever taken in the modern iteration of the series. The only good that came of Whitworth’s time in Tuscaloosa was it led directly to the hiring of Bryant, a former Alabama player and assistant coach who had spent the previous 13 years at Maryland, Kentucky and Texas A&M before “Mama Called” following the 1957 season.
Ralph “Shug” Jordan, shown here in the early 1960s, was Auburn’s head football coach from 1951-75. He was 9-16 in the Iron Bowl. (Birmingham News file photo)ph
Ralph “Shug” Jordan, Auburn (1951) — Lost 25-7 in Birmingham
The most-revered coach in Auburn history didn’t turn the Tigers around immediately, at least not in the Iron Bowl. His first three teams lost to Alabama by a combined 53-14, including a minor upset in 1953. However, the next five years belonged to Auburn, which outscored Alabama 142-15 from 1954-58. Jordan’s teams mostly picked their spots against the Crimson Tide after that, with memorable wins over excellent Alabama teams in 1963 and 1972, plus back-to-back victories in 1969 and 1970. His retired after the 1975 season, with a record of 9-16 in the Iron Bowl.
Harold “Red” Drew, Alabama’s head football coach from 1947-54, was 5-2 in the Iron Bowl. (Photo courtesy of the Paul W. Bryant Museum)Paul W. Bryant Museum photo
Harold “Red” Drew, Alabama (1948) — Won 55-0 in Birmingham
Drew gets a bit of an asterisk because 1948 was his second season at Alabama, not his first. But the Iron Bowl hadn’t been played the year before, when the Crimson Tide went 8-3 and beat Miami 21-6 in its regular-season finale. However, the first modern Iron Bowl is the most-decisive in series history, with Alabama’s 55 points tied for the most either team has scored in one game. Drew’s .714 winning percentage in seven Iron Bowls is tied with Stallings for second-best behind Bryant for any coach in the series, but he was fired after his 1954 Alabama team lost 28-0 to an Auburn team that was beginning its ascension under Jordan.
Auburn football coach Earl Brown is shown with Bobo Blackerby (34) during a 1950 game. Brown went 1-2 in the Iron Bowl. (Photo courtesy of Special Collections and Archives at Auburn University Libraries, C. Harry Knowles Collection)Auburn University photo
Earl Brown, Auburn (1948) — Lost 55-0 in Birmingham
Brown is the Ears Whitworth of Auburn football, going 3-22-4 in three seasons before being fired and replaced by a graduate of the school who took the program to new heights (Jordan in the case of the Tigers). And as noted above, Auburn’s 55-0 loss in the first modern Iron Bowl in 1948 is the most-lopsided score in series history. The biggest difference between Brown and Whitworth is that Brown’s team actually won an Iron Bowl, a 14-13 victory in 1949 that is among the biggest upsets in the game’s history. Not only had Alabama won by eight touchdown the year before, Auburn came into the game with a 1-4-3 record and still pulled off the win.
That is the history that DeBoer is up against going into his first Iron Bowl. He’s got arguably the most-talented roster of any first-year coach in the game’s history, but that hasn’t always led to victory for the Crimson Tide this year.
Then again, Auburn has not won the Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa since 2010. So perhaps history is working in both directions this year.
Creg Stephenson has worked for AL.com since 2010 and has written about college football for a variety of publications since 1994. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @CregStephenson.
The report cards have been issued since 2018. They take into account test scores, academic growth, college and career readiness, absenteeism and more to measure schools’ performances.
The overall score of 85, or a “B,” for the 2023-24 academic year was two points higher than the previous year and best yet for the state. Last year, 35 districts earned an “A” grades, up from 28 the year before.
A district of particular note is Sumter County Schools, which has been troubled in some management and academic aspects. The system scored a 76 on its latest report card, up a whopping 12 points year-over-year. State Superintendent Eric Mackey notes that the state’s intervention is still likely to last years.
Incidentally, the most improved school in the state was Birmingham charter school Legacy Prep, which improved 24 points to score a 76.
Mind your ticker
Ever notice how good news always seems to be followed by a “but”? Well, here it is:
The latest CDC data show that Alabama has the third-highest rate of heart-disease-related deaths in the nation, reports AL.com’s Heather Gann.
Alabama trails only Oklahoma and, of course, Mississippi.
During 2022, 234 out of every 100,000 Alabamians died of issues related to heart disease. You’re heard the risk factors: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, obesity, bad diets, physical inactivity and excessive alcohol consumption.
According to BSC, it rejected Miles’ request for a second closing-date extension.
From a BSC news release: “… to meet its commitments to lenders and other creditors, the BSC Board of Trustees is obligated to sell the 192-acre campus property as quickly as possible.”
Miles College’s president’s office didn’t make any comment, and if BSC has a line on what might be next regarding the sale, it wasn’t sharing.
But if you have an extra $65 million and a burning desire to found an institute of higher learning or something else that fits on a couple hundred acres of college campus, act now.
Reed Phillips has been in the position since 2020 and with ALGOP for close to a decade. The party said he’s leaving to pursue another opportunity. Witt has been working as ALGOP’s director of finance and special events.
More Alabama news
Born on This Date
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In 1973, pairs figure skater John Zimmerman of Birmingham.
For many families, one of those traditions is sitting down together to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Filled with colorful floats and larger-than-life balloons, there’s a lot to love about the annual event.
That said, we think the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade could be that much better if there was a float or balloon inspired by our state in the mix, and it seems our friends at This is Alabama agree.
They recently asked their Facebook followers what they think a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float inspired by our state would look like. The responses ranged from simple to elaborate to hilarious — because who wouldn’t want to see a giant gallon of Milo’s Sweet Tea floating high above New York City?
The USS Alabama on March 29, 2021.Lawrence Specker | [email protected]
“Front of the float is music notes for Muscle Shoals with statues of Florence’s native son W.C. Handy and Tuscumbia’s native daughter Helen Keller. Then, a rocket ship for Huntsville, a waterfall for all the state parks, a hot air balloon for Decatur, a Vulcan skyscraper for Birmingham, the Capitol Building for Montgomery, the Pettus Bridge for Selma, the Tuscaloosa Denny Chimes and bald eagle for Auburn (both with footballs). Then, for Enterprise the boil weevil, peanuts for Dothan and the Mobile USS ALABAMA. Last but not least, a beach of Gulf Shores, all with camellias and yellowhammers tucked in.” — Cheryl Sugg
“A float shaped like the state with all the following items strategically placed in the appropriate area: A houndstooth hat for Tuscaloosa, an eagle for Auburn, Moon Pies for Mobile, a rocket for Huntsville, Vulcan for Birmingham, a guitar for Muscle Shoals and a palm tree for Gulf Shores.” — Missy Gleason Peoples
“The Vulcan on front with his torch then a rocket for Huntsville and a sandy beach on the back. Plus, a big jug of Milo’s sweet tea, peaches for Clanton and peanuts for Dothan. Also, a beautiful edging around of cotton plants and a huge football with a big red ‘A’ on one side and an orange ‘A’ on the other side to pay Homage to these two great SEC teams.” — Sheila Eisenzimmer
And no, not the Minnesota Vikings receiver. Though the Alabama football linebacker with the same name replicating that elite level of play, albeit at a different position, would be welcomed by the Crimson Tide.
He will be the primary player to wear the helmet that is connected to defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s headset. Lawson, a captain, was that player this season.
“Justin can run,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said. “Justin is physical. He’s a guy you can count on. He’s really trustworthy. He pours everything into it. He has a team-first mindset, going through spring ball, kind of trying to figure out his role at the time. He’s been ready whenever called upon.”
Jefferson, the third linebacker behind Jihaad Campbell and Lawson this season, has tallied 22 tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble this season. A former top junior college player, Jefferson is in his second season with the Crimson Tide.
“I know that along with the disappointment that we have and how much we love Deontae, we’re also excited about the next man up and the opportunity that it creates for him and so Justin’s a huge fan of our entire team, our coaching staff,” DeBoer said. “We’re all fans of him and want him to go out there and be great and be confident.”
Jefferson has been working with the green dot helmet all season as an alternate to Lawson, so it won’t be completely new to him. Campbell is capable of being that player for the defense, too, but Campbell is busy moving around from the middle to the edge.
“It’s hard when a guy’s moving around like that for him to be the green dot communication,” Wommack said. “So we have two guys that certainly can handle it, but Justin will take the majority of the responsibility.”
Next up, Alabama will face Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday (2:30 p.m. CT, ABC) at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Each week, AL.com will explore the best of high school sports in Alabama. We hope you join the conversation.
Last week, AL.com offered its list of the best two-way players in Alabama high school football history. Most were players who starred on offense and defense. But one player, former Huffman star Philip Doyle, was an All-American kicker who was also a star tight end and linebacker.
Seven Alabama colleges ranked in the top 30 for U.S. News and World Report’s rankings for multiple categories and academic programs.
Alabama universities are faring well in nursing, veterans’ programs, value for the money and first-year experiences. U.S. News and World Report is one of several media outlets that rank colleges.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is ranked 13th among nursing programs and the University of Alabama is ranked 26th – tied with the University of California, Irvine – in that category. The top program is Emory University.
To determine these rankings, U.S. News and World Report surveyed deans and senior faculty of nursing programs and ranked the academic quality of 686 accredited undergraduate programs on a five-point scale. Five is outstanding and one is marginal.
The University of Montevallo is 8th in the best value rankings. A college’s academic quality as scored in the best colleges ranking is the first factor to determine the best value. Then U.S. News and World Report looked at how many full-time undergraduates receive need-based scholarships or grants and how much they pay. Murray State ranked first.
The University of North Alabama is the 11th best college for veterans. Troy University and Auburn University at Montgomery ranked at 21st and 29th, respectively. AUM tied with Charleston Southern. The top college is The Citadel.
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A school must be certified for the GI Bill and have a minimum of 20 full-time and part-time undergraduate veterans and active-duty service members in 2023-2024 school year to be on the list. The schools must also be ranked in the top half of one of the overall college categories, such as best regional colleges or best regional universities.
Auburn is ranked 29th in first-year experiences. For best first-year experiences, college presidents, provosts and admissions deans nominated 15 schools. Rankings are based on the total number of nominations. Schools must receive at least 10 nominations to be ranked. Elon University is at the top of the list.
