 He had not been widely linked to any other head coaching jobs, and was considered a sleeper choice by UAB.UAB was rumored to have initially offered the job to Pat Sullivan (then UAB offensive coordinator) and later to Jimbo Fisher, leading many to speculate that the UA Board of Trustees vetoed the contract offers preventing UAB from hiring more sought after coaches and instead appointing Callaway as the new head coach as a ploy to keep the program in a lower status than Alabama's own.Callaway left UAB's head coaching job on November 27, 2011, having compiled a record of 18 wins and 42 losses during his five years with the Blazers (18–42).The board blocked a proposal to fund an on-campus football field at UAB which meant players had to travel for practice, and the facilities were far from being up to par.