Super Bowl Champion Quarterback Becomes Head Coach of UAB Football Team

By Brian Jones

A Super Bowl champion quarterback is now the head coach of a major college football team. On Wednesday, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) announced that Trent Dilfer will be the football team's new head coach. He will officially begin on Friday, Dec. 2 following Lipscomb Academy's state championship game on Thursday, Dec. 1, in Chattanooga. Dilfer has spent the last four years as the head coach of Lipscomb Academy in Nashville. He is taking over for Bill Clark who resigned before the 2022 season due to back problems.

"Having the opportunity to lead such a quality program like UAB is one that I am beyond excited about," Dilfer said in a statement. "The investments the university has made for UAB Football aligns with my vision of taking this program to new heights as we join the American Athletic Conference and compete annually for the highest prize of playing in the College Football Playoff. I would like to thank President Ray Watts, Director of Athletics Mark Ingram and the entire search committee for their commitment to excellence and for trusting in me as we venture into this new era of UAB Football together."  

During his time at Lipscomb Academy, Dilfer posted a 43-10 record and a mark of 25-1 in the last two seasons. He is also the head coach of the Elite 11 Academy, a place that trains elite-level high school quarterbacks. The alumni of Elite 11 include 27 of the 32 current NFL starting quarterbacks and 14 of the past 15 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks.

"Trent is a proven winner on and off the field at all levels and will be a tremendous leader for our program," Ingram said. "He is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback who played the game at its highest level for many years, and he has coached some of the top quarterbacks who are currently NFL franchise players. Trent's goals and vision for our program is to lead UAB to the College Football Playoff and we have no doubt that he is the right coach to lead our transition in the American Athletic Conference. Most importantly, Trent is an outstanding man, husband and father with tremendous character who fits our department's core values of winning championships, graduating with honors and making a difference in our community."

Dilfer, 50, played in the NFL from 1994-2007. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1997 when he was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and he won a Super Bowl when he was with the Baltimore Ravens in 2000. Dilfer also spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers before announcing his retirement in 2008. In that same year, Dilfer began working for ESPN as an NFL analyst. He was nominated for a Sports Emmy in 2012.

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