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University of Alabama - Birmingham

UAB Blazers Athletics
 Bartow Arena - 1720 2nd Ave. S Birmingham, AL 35294
Division 1 Alabama Southeast
Public Very Large National competitor
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Coaches

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David Lilly

David Lilly enters his first season as the head coach at UAB in 2024.


Lilly has spent the last two seasons as the head coach at East Tennessee State, accruing a record of 17-11-6 over that time while leading the Buccaneers to a second-place finish in the SoCon in 2022 and a first-place finish in the league in 2023. During those two seasons, the Buccaneers went 7-1-2 in SoCon play, the best record of any team in the league during that time.


This past season, the Buccaneers ranked atop the league in goals per game (1.47) and goals against average (0.755). Their 0.755 GAA ranked 10th nationally.


Prior to becoming the head coach at ETSU, Lilly led his alma mater Milligan College to back-to-back NAIA Tournament appearances in 2020 and 2021. During his four seasons with the Buffs, he had an overall record of 42-26-3 and a conference record of 28-14-3. In his final two seasons at Milligan, he held a record of 27-6-1 and helped Milligan reach its highest-ever ranking at No. 9 during the 2021 season. He was named Appalachian Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2020.


Before his time at Milligan, Lilly served as an assistant coach at East Tennessee State from 2010-2017. The Buccaneers held an 81-49-27 record during that stint while reaching the NCAA Tournament three times. ETSU won two ASUN titles while also earning the program’s first at-large bid in 2016.


Lilly earned honorable mention NAIA All-America honors in 2005 and 2006 as a player at Milligan while also earning Region XII Player of the Year honors during his senior season. He led the Buffs to a Sweet 16 appearance in their first ever NAIA tournament during his senior season.


Following his collegiate playing career, Lilly signed professionally with the Carolina Railhawks of the USL-1 during the 2008-09 season. He has also played PDL for the Mississippi Brilla and West Virginia Chaos.


Lilly, a native of Coatbridge, Scotland, graduated from Milligan in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management before earning his master’s in Business Administration from ETSU in December of 2012 and an additional Master’s in Kinesiology & Sport Management in December of 2014.

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Kyle Findlay

Kyle Findlay joined the Blazers men’s soccer staff as an assistant coach in January 2024, following newly appointed head coach David Lilly from East Tennessee State University where he held the same role.


Findlay joined an underachieving ETSU in December 2021 and helped turn the program back into a contender at the top of the Southern Conference immediately. During two seasons at ETSU the Buccaneers accrued an overall record of 17-11-6, finished 2nd in 2022 and won the SoCon title in 2023. The Buccaneers 7-1-2 conference record during this period was the best of any team in the conference. In 2023 Findlay helped direct an attack which ranked top of the conference in goals per game, and a defence which had the best goals against average. The team’s 0.755 GAA ranked 10th in the nation.


Prior to ETSU Findlay spent four seasons as assistant coach at Milligan University, where the Buffs posted an overall record of 42-26-3, while making back-to-back appearances in the NAIA National Tournament. Over the final two years at Milligan, the Buffs went 27-6-1 and 20-3 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, where Findlay helped direct a run to the 2020 regular season championship. In 2020, Milligan finished 12-3 overall and was ranked No. 22 in the final Top 25 Poll.


In 2021, the Buffs went 15-3-1 overall and 11-2 in AAC play en route to setting program records in win percentage (.816), goals (76), assists (65) and shutouts (11). The 15 wins marked the second winningest season in program history where the Buffs garnered their highest ranking in program history at No. 9.


Findlay has also spent time serving as the assistant coach for the Tri-Cities Otters (in USL League Two) and the head coach of the Otters’ USL Academy squad.


Before arriving in the Tri-Cities, Findlay held both head and assistant coaching spots with clubs and organizations across three continents. Findlay worked as a program manager and coach for the Chicago Fire, while also spending time with the Fulham FC Development Center in England and as the head coach within The Cove FC’s youth system in Australia.


Findlay’s first head coaching stint came at Westminster College where he led the women’s soccer program in South Australia, while he also completed volunteer sports science work with Perth Glory in Australia’s Hyundai A-League.


Findlay, a native of Reading, England, played three seasons collegiately at Bluefield College where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science and sports science with a concentration in sports medicine. Prior to Bluefield, he attended Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia.


Findlay holds a US Soccer B license and earned his Master’s in Sport Science & Coach Education from ETSU in 2021.

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Adam Reakes

Reakes joined the Blazers in February 2024 after spending the 2023 season with Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. as an Assistant Coach.


Whilst working with the Terriers, Reakes helped improve the program to turnaround the record from 6-9-2 in 2022 into a respectable 7-4-6 in 2023 which lead to an unbeaten record in conference play and a second-place finish in the SoCon Regular season. The 2023 team with Reakes also posted the program’s second fewest losses in program history (4), second most shutouts in program history (7), second fewest goals allowed in program history (15) and second best goals against average (0.88). An additional highlight was the program recording its best ever result against a top-10 ranked opponent with a 2-2 tie away at the #3 Duke Blue Devils. The Terriers had Nikolai Roejel named as the 2023 SoCon Player of The Year along with four All-SoCon First Team selections and three All-SoCon Second Team selections.


Before his time at Wofford, Reakes was in the role of Assistant Coach at Nova Southeastern in 2022. During his season with the Sharks, they were 7-6-4 overall and had two players named to the All-SSC First Team, along with one second team selection. Defender Farid Sar-Sar signed with Inter Miami CF following the season.


Prior to his time at NSU, he had various stints at his alma mater, Reinhardt University in 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2021 in both Graduate Assistant and Volunteer Assistant roles.


Reakes also joined the staff following a head coaching stint with Apotheos FC of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).


A native of Colchester, England, Reakes has extensive experience at the youth, collegiate and professional levels, most recently serving as the head coach of Apotheos FC of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). He also held assistant coaching and lead recruiting positions at Reinhardt University in Georgia in addition to acting as Director of Coaching for Academy Juniors of Inter Atlanta FC. Reakes spent time as an assistant with the Georgia Revolution of the NPSL, along with acting as the Elite Youth Coach and Technical Advisor for Colchester United FC from 2016-17 before taking over as the Elite Development Coach for Inter Atlanta FC from 2017-19.


Reakes played professionally both in the United States and in the UK. He spent time in the NPSL as a member of both the Knoxville Force and Chattanooga FC before moving on to USL League Two, where he played with Peachtree City MOBA. In the UK, Reakes earned stints with a handful of organizations including Chelmsford City, Brightlingsea Regent, Stanway Rovers, Brantham Athletic and Colchester United.


He played collegiately at Reinhardt University, earning a degree in sports studies with a minor in business management in 2015. Reakes earned honorable mention NAIA All-America honors in 2014 along with NSCAA All-Region honors as a player at Reinhardt. He led the Eagles to their first ever Appalachian Athletic Conference Regular Season Title in program history.


Reakes resides in Birmingham, AL with his wife, Ansley and his daughter, Arlowe Emersyn.

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