The UAB Blazers fired head coach Trent Dilfer on Sunday.
Dilfer was in the midst of this third season coaching the program and finished his tenure with a 9-21 record. He was hired Nov. 30, 2022 to facilitate
UAB’s transition from Conference USA to the American Conference and compiled a 4-8 record in year one, fell to 3-9 in year two, and was ousted after a 2-4 start to his 2025 campaign. The firing comes fresh off a 53-33 defeat at Florida Atlantic, marking UAB’s third-straight loss — all three by 18 or more points.
“We have made a decision to part ways with Head Football Coach Trent Dilfer,” UAB athletic director Mark Ingram issued in a statemet. “We agree that — unfortunately — our on-field performance has not lived up to the standard of winning we have for the program. The decision will allow us to move forward in the best long-term interest of the program. I have asked Alex Mortensen to serve as the 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.”
Road games were among a primary concern of the Dilfer era as the head coach never logged a single road victory in 15 tries. UAB’s last road win was Nov. 26, 2022 — 1,051 days prior to Dilfer’s firing, which is a longer timespan than the program’s infamous shutdown from December 2014 until its on-field return in September 2017. Defenses were another major concern during his tenure, as UAB ranked 130th of 133 in scoring defense in 2023, 120th of 134 in 2024, and 136th of 136 in 2025 at the time of his firing. The Blazers only defeated one team that qualified for a bowl during Dilfer’s 30 games, upending 7-6 South Florida in October 2023.
The UAB job represented Dilfer’s first experience at the collegiate level. The former Super Bowl champion quarterback and ESPN analyst began his head coaching career at the high school ranks in 2019, turning Lipscomb Academy in Tennessee into a power. Dilfer produced a 44-10 record at Lipscomb Academy and fared 26-1 across his final two years, claiming the Division II Class AA State Championship in Tennessee in both 2021 and 2022.
Interestingly enough, Dilfer is the first coach formally ‘fired’ by UAB since the Blazers joined the FBS. Watson Brown (1996-06) resigned, Neil Callaway (2007-11) resigned, and Garrick McGee (2012-13) stepped down to accept the Louisville offensive coordinator job — despite all ending on a 2-10 or 3-9 season. Longtime head coach Bill Clark, who claimed Conference USA championships in 2018 and 2020 stepped down in the summer of 2022 citing back problems and has not returned to coaching since. Bryant Vincent served the entire 2022 season with the interim head coach label, and after producing a 7-6 season, he was not retained by UAB. The Blazers hired Dilfer instead and Vincent later accepted the head coaching position at ULM.
Offensive coordinator Alex Mortensen, a third-year staff member at UAB, will serve as the interim head coach for the final six regular season contests. The son of the late NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, Alex was one of Dilfer’s first hires — taking the OC gig three days after Dilfer onboarded. He will make his head coaching debut Saturday at home against undefeated No. 22 Memphis in the Battle for the Bones rivalry.
