Trent Dilfer is in his third season at UAB.
Athletic director Mark Ingram said Tuesday that the former NFL QB will be retained for another season. The Blazers went 3-9 in 2024 after a 4-8 season in 2023.
“The past two seasons have been disappointing, but Coach Dilfer has learned a lot and has a plan for the future,” Ingram wrote in a statement. “The NIL and the transfer portal make this perhaps the most challenging time in college football history. But I have seen Coach Dilfer’s dedication and believe in his football IQ, commitment to UAB, passion for the game, love for the student-athletes and relentless work ethic. For that reason in the future, Coach Dilfer will serve as our head coach in 2025.
Dilfer 52 was hired in 2022 after the team went 7-6 under interim coach Bryant Vincent. After leading the Blazers to a 43-20 record in five seasons following a two-year hiatus from school, coach Bill Clark resigned earlier that season due to health reasons. from football
Dilfer’s tenure also coincided with UAB’s move from Conference USA to the American Athletic Conference. The Blazers’ only wins over FBS programs in 2024 were against Tulsa and Rice, two schools that fired their coaches during the season.
UAB had a chance for its third AAC win against Charlotte in the final week of the season – another team playing late in the season with an interim coach – but two missed field goals with no time left allowed Charlotte to escape by 29. -27 wins.
Dilfer was hired at UAB without any college coaching experience. He coached for four seasons at Lipscomb Academy in Tennessee before moving to UAB. After his NFL career ended, Dilfer remained an ESPN analyst until 2017.
The former Fresno State QB played for five NFL franchises when he was the No. 6 overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After playing with the Bucs until 1999, Dilfer was the QB for the Baltimore Ravens when the team won the Super Bowl in 2000. Dilfer went on to play with the Seahawks and Browns before finishing his career with the 49ers.
