UAB is finalizing the hire of former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer as the Blazers’ new football coach and is planning to officially introduce him later Wednesday, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Dilfer, 50, the head coach at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, is a former standout quarterback at Fresno State, who graduated to an NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. He won the Super Bowl with the Ravens in the 2000 season.
Dilfer has already informed his team at Lipscomb Academy about the news, sources told ESPN, and UAB is organizing a team meeting Wednesday afternoon to introduce him.
The Blazers finished 6-6 this season under interim coach Bryant Vincent, who is also the team’s offensive coordinator. They were among three teams in Conference USA to finish 4-4 in the league.
Vincent replaced Bill Clark, who resigned in June for health reasons. Under Clark, UAB went 49-26 across six seasons, including a 2-2 mark in bowls. In Clark’s final season, the Blazers finished 9-4, including a victory in the Independence Bowl.
Dilfer, a former ESPN analyst, was the No. 6 overall pick in the NFL draft by Tampa Bay in 1994. A 1997 Pro Bowler, Dilfer appeared in 130 games, throwing for 20,518 yards, 113 touchdowns and 129 interceptions.
In his fourth season at Lipscomb, Dilfer has led the Mustangs to a 12-0 record this season. They will play Thursday in a state championship game in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The Blazers were in good shape at 4-2 after a 34-20 win over Charlotte on Oct. 15. But they proceeded to lose three straight games, and had to rally with a 37-27 win over Louisiana Tech in the season finale last week to gain bowl eligibility.
UAB scheduled up just once this season, playing one Power 5 team, LSU. They lost to the Tigers, 41-10, on Nov. 19.
The Blazers will take on Miami (Ohio) (6-6) in the Hometown Lenders Bahamas Bowl on Dec. 16.