Jan. 5, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- UAB head football coach Neil Callaway is continuing the process of assembling his staff, announcing Friday the hiring of Eric Schumann, Tyson Helton and Ervin Lewis to the Blazers' program.

Schumann, who will serve as UAB's defensive coordinator and coach the safeties, brings a significant amount of experience to the Blazers. Most recently, Schumann has held the position of defensive coordinator at Tulane, serving in that position since January, 2002. Schumann also spent five seasons as the defensive coordinator at SMU while coaching the defensive backs.

While coaching at SMU, the Mustangs led the Western Athletic Conference in defense in 2001 and ranked No. 22 nationally. SMU was 30th in the NCAA statistics in rushing defense, yielding just 122 yards per game, and ranked 35th in pass efficiency defense.

Prior to going to SMU, Schumann was the defensive coordinator at East Tennessee State for five seasons. Schumann's other coaching stops included five seasons, in two separate stints at Valdosta State and one season each at Livingston, New Mexico and Troy State.

Schumann was a defensive back in his college playing days at Alabama (1973-77) and helped the Crimson Tide to a UPI national championship in 1973. He earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Alabama.

"Eric and I played together at Alabama and I have known him a long time," said Callaway. "I have followed his coaching career and have always been impressed with how hard his defenses play and with the schemes they have run. He has done a great job everywhere he has been."

Helton comes to UAB after three seasons on the staff Memphis where he has coached special teams and tight ends. With the Blazers, Helton will be the quarterbacks coach. While working on the Tigers' staff, the Memphis special teams prospered under his guidance. In 2005, UM kicker Stephen Gostkowski was responsible for nearly one-third of the team's scoring and was named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year.

Also that season, Memphis ranked No. 3 nationally in net punting. In Helton's first season with the Tigers, the punt return unit improved from averaging 7.8 yards per return to a mark of 10.3 yards in 2004.

Prior to joining the program at Memphis, Helton spent four years as a member of June Jones' staff at Hawaii. He arrived on the Manoa campus in 2000 as a graduate assistant and was primarily responsible for the Warrior special teams.

Helton earned his bachelor's degree at Houston in 1999 after a four-year career as a quarterback with the Cougars.

"I coached Tyson at Houston," said Callaway. "He comes from a football family and has been around the sport his entire life. He is a bright, young football coach and I think has an outstanding future."

Lewis will serve as UAB's Director of Football Operations after holding the position of athletic academic advisor at Georgia since March of 2003. Lewis, who earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Auburn, also has coaching experience on his resume. He was the head football coach at Jefferson County High School in Monticello, Fla. from 2001-03 and was an assistant coach at the school for a year prior to that period.

"Ervin was on our staff at Georgia," said Callaway, "and did an outstanding job as one of our academic advisors. Ervin is a great communicator with people and an extremely hard worker. We're excited to have him as a member of our staff."

Schumann, Helton and Lewis are the latest additions to Callaway's staff at UAB. He also has hired Steve Davenport as an assistant coach on the offensive side, Will Friend as offensive line coach, Tyson Summers as linebackers coach and Corey Barlow as the cornerbacks coach.