HEAD COACH BOBBY CHAMPAGNE Bobby Champagne is in his 14th season as head men’s basketball coach at the University of North Alabama.
Champagne Biography
Birthdate: May 4, 1967 Hometown: Lafayette, Louisiana Wife: Anna Children: Sons Charlie, Will and Joe and Daughter Annie Education: B.S. in Sociology (1990), University of South Alabama
Under Champagne, the Lions have qualified for post-season play in all 13 seasons, incudnig 13 consecutive Gulf South Conference tournaments and four NCAA tournaments. UNA also won the NCAA Division II South Regional Championship in the 2007-08 season and the GSC Tournament in the 2013-14 campaign. He is 216-166 during his tenure at North Alabama. Champagne, who was honored by the NABC as South Region Coach of the Year in 2008, has been affiliated with 13 postseason tournament teams (11 NCAA, two NIT) during his 28-year collegiate coaching career. He came to UNA after one season as an assistant
coach at the University of TexasEl Paso.
During the 2004-05 campaign, UNA knocked off several ranked teams in the regular season, including No. 1 Southern Indiana on Nov. 20 at Flowers Hall. In 2005-06, UNA was 18-11, played in the GSC Tournament and received an NCAA South Regional bid. The NCAA postseason nod was the first for the Lions since 1996 and the eighth for Champagne. The Lions had their second consecutive winning season in 2006-07.
cess, the Lions were 18-10 in 2009. The Lions advanced to the semifinals of the GSC Tournament the next two years before going 15-12 in 2011. UNA then went 19-9 during the 2012-13 season and returned to the NCAA Tournament. The 2013-14 season was capped with a second straight NCAA appearance, as well as a GSC Tournament championship. The Lions won three straight conference tournament games, including a 79-73 victory over Christian Brothers in the championship. Bruce Adams earend all-tournament honors along with Rashaun Claiborne, who was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. UNA knocked off Tampa in the first round of the NCAA regional tournament before falling 93-87 to eventual-champion Tuskegee.
After finishing the 2007-08 season at 27-8 and re-writing much of the school’s record book in the pro-
Champagne was a member of the coaching staff at Georgia State University in 2001-02, working un-
In his first season at UNA, Champagne led the Lions to a 12-16 record that also included a berth in the 2004 GSC tournament. The following season, the Lions improved to 14-14, and again were participants in the conference tourney.
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