Coaches No. 11 1976 record 9–3 (5–2 SEC) | AP No. 9 Captain Thad Flanagan | |
Conference Southeastern Conference Head coach Bear Bryant (19th year) | ||
The 1976 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 82nd overall and 43rd season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his 19th year, and played their home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished season with nine wins and three losses (9–3 overall, 5–2 in the SEC) and with a victory over UCLA in the Liberty Bowl.
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The Crimson Tide opened the season with an upset loss against Ole Miss. The loss ended a 20-game conference winning streak that dated back to their 1972 season. They rebounded from the loss with wins over both SMU and Vanderbilt, but then were shutout by Georgia in their fourth game. The shutout was the first for the Crimson Tide since their 1970 season, and with the loss Alabama also dropped out of the polls for the first time since 1970.
The Crimson Tide again bounced back from the loss and won their next five games. These wins included victories over Southern Miss, Tennessee, Louisville, Mississippi State and LSU. Alabama next lost their third game of the season in a much anticipated match-up at Notre Dame. They then closed the season with a victory over rival Auburn and UCLA in the Liberty Bowl.
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Stadium renaming
In September 1975, a bill sponsored by Alabama State Senator Bert Bank was passed by a margin of 88–0 to rename Denny Stadium to Bryant–Denny Stadium in honor of then head coach Bear Bryant. The stadium was then officially renamed as part of the halftime ceremonies during the 1976 A-Day game. At the time of its re-dedication, Bryant was quoted as saying "this is a tremendous honor and I am proud and humble."
NFL Draft
Several players that were varsity lettermen from the 1976 squad were drafted into the National Football League (NFL) in the 1977, 1978 and 1979 drafts. These players included: