UAB will be out of the box with their next head coach unless the box expands in the aftermath of Jeff Saturday.
The Blazers plan to hire former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer, who has no college-level coaching experience, to run the program, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. A deal has reportedly not been finalized, but an agreement is expected to be reached in the next few days.
The UAB job opened up with the retirement of former head coach Bill Clark. Bill Clark announced in June that he would be leaving the program in June due to his back problems. Offensively his coordinator Bryant Vincent joined as the school’s interim coach and the Bahamas qualified for his bowl with a record of 6-6.
Clarke was a driving force behind UAB’s revival, putting together a roster just a few years after seeing the program shut down. He left Birmingham with his 49-26 record, but now Dilfer is reportedly tasked with maintaining that success.
Trent Dilfer is UAB’s unconventional adopter
Hiring Dilfer is a surprise considering he’s only ever taught high school students. He currently works as head coach for his academy at Nashville’s Lipscomb, and in four of his seasons he has a record of 43 wins and 10 losses. The team, currently 12-0, is scheduled to play in the state championship game on Thursday.
He also worked as the head coach for the Elite 11 quarterback camp. This camp prepares several of the top high school quarterbacks for college each year.
Dilfer, 50, is known for his NFL and broadcasting career. The Fresno State player played professionally for more than a decade since he was selected 6th overall in the NFL Draft in 1994, and Tampa Bay, where he spent five seasons as a starter for the Buccaneers, and Baltimore. won the Super Bowl with the Ravens.
After retiring in 2008, Dilfer became a television analyst, working for the NFL Network, ESPN and Fox Sports 1.
The situation is the same with the Indianapolis Colts, who hired former franchise great Jeff Saturday as interim head coach after the dismissal of Frank Reich. Saturday also had no coaching experience beyond high school level, but it was also a temporary job.