UAB fires football coach Trent Dilfer after 3rd straight loss

UAB fired former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer as head coach on Sunday, a day after the Blazers lost their third straight game, 53-33 at Florida Atlantic, to fall to 2-4 on the season.

Dilfer, 53, was 9-21 in two-plus seasons at UAB.

“We agree that – unfortunately – our performance on the field has not lived up to the level of winning we have for the program,” athletic director Mark Ingram said in a statement announcing the decision. “I wish Coach Dilfer the best and thank him for his class, tireless work and commitment during his tenure at UAB.

“Even if his efforts didn’t translate into a winning record, every young man who played for him will become a better person as a result.”

Alex Mortensen, the son of the late NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, will serve as interim coach.

A 14-year NFL veteran, Dilfer was a surprising choice to take over the UAB program after Bill Clark retired due to health reasons before the 2022 season. Then-interim coach Bryant Vincent, now at Louisiana-Monroe, guided the Blazers to a 7-6 record that season, and Dilfer’s hiring was announced on November 30, 2022.

Dilfer had never coached in college and his only experience came during a highly successful four-year stint at Lipscomb Academy, a private high school in Nashville, from 2019-2022.

The Blazers went 4-8 in Dilfer’s first season in 2023 and 3-9 in 2024.

This season, UAB’s only wins have been close wins over FCS program Alabama State and Akron.

The Blazers rank last in defensive scoring (41.3 points) in the American Athletic Conference. UAB and Tulane are the most penalized teams in the league, averaging 8.5 penalties per game.

Dilfer, a former ESPN analyst, was the No. 6 pick in the NFL draft by Tampa Bay in 1994. A Pro Bowler in 1997, Dilfer appeared in 130 games, throwing for 20,518 yards, 113 touchdowns and 129 interceptions.