Former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer, who coached the Tennessee high school team for the past four years, is the leading candidate to be the new UAB coach, a person with knowledge of the search told The Associated Press on Tuesday night.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because UAB has not released details of its search.
Dilfer, who led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl championship in 2000, has been the head coach at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee since 2019. He has led the school to three state championship games, including one scheduled for Thursday against Christ Presbyterian Academy.
He had no college coaching experience.
Dilfer’s text message was not immediately returned.
Football Scoop first reported that UAB was targeting Dilfer.
A former first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1994, Dilfer played 14 NFL seasons. After retiring in 2008, he went into broadcasting and worked for ESPN as an NFL analyst until 2017.
At the same time, Dilfer became a participant in the Elite 11 quarterback camp for the nation’s top high school prospects.
He transferred to a high school coach at Lipscomb Academy, a private Christian school in suburban Nashville. The team is 12-0 this season.
At the start of the 2021 season, Dilfer issued a public apology after a video on social media showed him pushing and yelling at one of his players. The player was the son of Dilfer’s former NFL teammate, kicker Phil Dawson.
UAB is trying to fill the vacancy created when Bill Clark resigned in August, citing past issues.
Offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent was named interim coach and led the Blazers to a 6-6 record this season.
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