Trent Dilfer's time at UAB is over. The former Super Bowl-winning quarterback has been fired as head coach of the Blazers after two-plus seasons, the school announced. The move ends a rocky college coaching stint that never really found its footing.
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Dilfer went 9-21 overall, including 3-9 this season. His team dropped 15 straight road games and struggled badly on defense, giving up more than 41 points per game — worst in the American Athletic Conference. Their only wins this year came against Alabama State and Akron, neither of which did much to calm the noise around the program.
"We agree that unfortunately our on-field performance has not lived up to the standard of winning we have for the program," athletic director Mark Ingram said in a statement. "I wish Coach Dilfer the best and thank him for his class, tireless work and commitment during his tenure at UAB."
Ingram added that while the record didn't show it, players "will be better people as a result" of playing for Dilfer.
The 53-year-old was a bold hire when UAB brought him in from Lipscomb Academy, a private high school in Nashville where he had gone 44-10 and won two state titles. The Blazers hoped his leadership and NFL pedigree would spark a turnaround. It didn't happen.
Dilfer, who played 14 years in the league and won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2000, could return to TV after years as an ESPN analyst. For now, Alex Mortensen — son of the late ESPN insider Chris Mortensen — takes over as interim coach.
