Trent Dilfer is getting a third season at UAB.
Athletic director Mark Ingram said Tuesday that the former NFL QB would be retained for another season. The Blazers went 3-9 in 2024 after a 4-8 season 2023.
“The last two seasons have been disappointing, but Coach Dilfer has learned a great deal and has a plan for the future,” Ingram wrote in a statement. “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 that his football IQ, commitment to UAB, passion for the game, love for student-athletes and relentless work ethic will pay off in the near future. For those reasons, Coach Dilfer will continue to be our head coach in 2025.”
Dilfer 52, was hired after the team went 7-6 under interim coach Bryant Vincent in 2022. Coach Bill Clark resigned for health reasons before that season after leading the Blazers to a 43-20 record in five seasons following the school’s two-year hiatus from football.
Dilfer’s tenure has also coincided with UAB’s move from Conference USA to the American Athletic Conference. The Blazers’ only wins over FBS programs in 2024 came against Tulsa and Rice, two schools that fired their coaches during the season.
UAB had a chance to get a third AAC win in the final week of the season against Charlotte — another team playing out the end of the season with an interim coach — but two missed field goals with no time remaining allowed Charlotte to escape with a 29-27 win.
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 was an ESPN analyst until 2017.
The former Fresno State QB played for five NFL franchises after he was the No. 6 overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After playing with the Bucs through 1999, Dilfer was the Baltimore Ravens’ QB in 2000 when the team won the Super Bowl. Dilfer went on to play with the Seahawks and Browns before finishing his career with the 49ers.
