Trent Dilfer didn’t last long as a college football head coach.
UAB fired the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Sunday night after just two-plus season in which he amassed a 9-21 record.
The Blazers are 2-4 and have lost three straight games by 32, 18 and 20 points.
“We have made a decision to part ways with Head Football Coach Trent Dilfer,” UAB athletics director Mark Ingram said in a statement posted to the school’s website. “We agree that — unfortunately — our on-field performance has not lived up to the standard of winning we have for the program. This decision will allow us to move forward in the best long-term interest of the program.
“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.”
UAB made the outside-the-box move to hire Dilfer in November 2022 despite having zero collegiate coaching experience.
Dilfer had previously coached Libscomb Academy in Nashville for four years after his nine-year run with ESPN ended in 2017 when the company had mass layoffs.
The 53-year-old inherited a team that went 7-6 in 2022, and he guided UAB to a 4-8 record in his first season before going 3-9 in 2024.
While the Blazers triumphed against Alabama State and Akron this year, they lost by at least 14 points to Navy, Tennessee, Army and, most recently, Florida Atlantic, falling 53-33 on Saturday.
The team’s defense is allowing the most points in the sport, surrendering 41.3 points per game.
Before he entered the coaching and media ranks, Dilfer had a solid run in the NFL that included a Super Bowl win.
The former Fresno State star played in the NFL for 14 seasons from 1994-2007 after being selected by the Buccaneers with the No. 6 pick in the 1994 NFL Draft.
His crowning achievement came when he helped the 2000 Ravens — a team remembered for having one of the greatest defenses in NFL history — win the Super Bowl with a 34-7 victory over the Giants.
UAB is now turning over its program to another individual with ESPN ties. Alex Mortensen, the son of late ESPN reporting legend Chris Mortensen, being promoted to interim coach.
He had been serving as the offensive coordinator.
“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,” Ingram said.
