Pendry named GM of Birmingham AAF team

Joe Pendry was named the general manager of the Birmingham franchise in the Alliance of American Football, the league announced Monday. Pendry most recently served in an advisory role with the Alabama Crimson Tide after three seasons as assistant head coach and offensive line coach with the Tide. Pendry had been an assistant coach with seven different NFL teams before becoming part of the Alabama staff. On January 13, 2011, he decided to retire from coaching. Also, Trey Brown has been named executive vice president of football operations for Birmingham. He had served in the Philadelphia Eagles front office since 2013. "We have placed an emphasis on bringing in front office staff with the experience needed to identify top talent and build a highly competitive team, and that's reflected in Alliance Birmingham," said J.K. McKay, head of football operations, The Alliance. "Joe has spent over forty years on college and NFL sidelines working closely with players and knows what it takes to build a strong team and compete at a high level. With Joe Pendry, Trey Brown and (head coach) Tim Lewis at the helm, we look forward to seeing what Alliance Birmingham can achieve on and off the field." "This is an amazing opportunity to build something special here in Birmingham, Alabama, and the work is already underway," Pendry said in a statement. "Football is king in Alabama and we know when it comes time for our first snap, we'll have a loyal and energetic fanbase behind us. We are committed to putting a product on the field that they will be proud to support." The new league is scheduled to begin its inaugural season on Feb. 9, 2019, with the championship game scheduled for the weekend of April 26-28, 2019.