UAB Finally Fired Trent Dilfer After 9–21 Record — Former NFL QB, ESPN Analyst Experiment Ends In Birmingham

Trent Dilfer is out as the head coach at UAB just six games into the 2025 season — and it probably should have happened sooner.

One day after the Blazers’ 53-33 loss, UAB officials decided Dilfer was not the right man to lead the football program. Plenty of people could’ve told you this wasn’t going to work out from the day he was hired in Birmingham.

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But, the school decided they wanted a ‘splash’ hire, which seemingly blew up in the faces of boosters and administrators, who decided this was a move that would turn the program around. 

"We have made a decision to part ways with Head Football Coach Trent Dilfer. We agree that — unfortunately — our on-field performance has not lived up to the standard of winning we have for the program," AD Mark Ingram said. This decision will allow us to move forward in the best long-term interest of the program. I have asked Alex Mortensen to serve as interim head coach to lead the team for the remainder of the season as we continue as a department and university to provide the support our student athletes need to compete. 

"I wish Coach Dilfer the best and thank him for his class, tireless work and commitment during his tenure at UAB. While his efforts did not translate into a winning record, each young man who played for him will be a better person as a result."

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The former Super Bowl winning quarterback, ESPN analyst and high school coach found himself in over his head from the moment he stepped foot on the UAB campus three years ago. 

This was always going to be an uphill battle, but I rarely expect the folks at UAB to get things right after the firing of former coach Bill Clark. Without any prior college coaching experience, the Blazers thought they were going to garner headlines by taking the former high school coach from Lipscomb academy. 

A 9-21 record later, while also going 6-14 in the American Conference, Dilfer had to go. The way in which he thought his philosophy would work at the college level baffled plenty of people, and his press conferences didn’t help the situation. 

Offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent led the Blazers to a 6-6 record as the interim coach in 2022 before Dilfer was hired. And now, the first call the school should make is to the former OC. 

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 20: Head Coach Trent Dilfer of the UAB Blazers looks on during the second half of the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 20, 2025 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

Trent Dilfer: A Disaster At UAB They Should’ve Seen Coming

Trent Dilfer did not lead UAB to a single road game win during his time as the head coach at UAB, and that should've been a hint to athletic department staff before the 2025 season even started. 

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But, they like to mess things up in Birmingham, which goes back to a decade ago when they decided to shut down the football program for budget reasons. 

That did not last long, with a bevy of UAB alumni demanding the program return, which it finally did two years later under coach Bill Clark. 

Dilfer should have not gotten the job three years ago, and hopefully the folks making decisions at UAB will bring in, or bring back, a coach who can fully appreciate the situation in Bimingham.