Gottfried Lands A Small Fry

Mark Gottfried has made a success of reeling in huge catches in basketball recruiting. But recently The University of Alabama basketball coach experienced a sporting first when he lured and caught his first bass.

This weekend television viewers will get a chance to share in the experience. Alabama Basketball Coach Mark Gottfried is the featured guest of former Tide football All-America Tommy Wilcox on the “Tommy Wilcox Outdoors Show.”

The 30-minute show was filmed after a day of fishing at Sweet Apple Farms in Livingston, Ala., earlier this fall. Three of Gottfried’s five children, sons Cameron, Aaron and Dillon, joined their dad on the lake.

“It was a great time,” said Gottfried whose fishing trip also included WVUA TV’s sports director Gary Harris and sports reporter Todd Hoyer. “It was a great time with my children, and Tommy Wilcox was a fabulous host. Having Gary and Todd there made it a great day, too.”

The episode will air on Saturday at 9 a.m. CT on Fox Sports Net and at 10 a.m. CT Saturday on Tuscaloosa’s WVUA7. It airs on Cox Sports in states including Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, on Sunday at 10 a.m. CT.

“My fish was probably big enough to put in my shirt pocket, but, the older I get, it will definitely grow in size and weight,” said Gottfried laughing. “But my kids caught a lot of fish, and I did as well. It was a lot of fun.”

A photo gallery of Gottfried’s day on the lake can be found on the show’s official website, www.tommywilcox.com . Wilcox’s guests on the show in the past have included sports celebrities as well as entertainers, including singer Hank Williams, Jr., driver Tony Stewart, Georgia head football coach Mark Richt, former major league baseball player Ray Knight and his wife, former LPGA golfer Nancy Lopez, and former Tide and NFL star Ken Stabler among others.