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UAB football hiring Super Bowl-winning QB as head coach

By Cody Williams

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 18: Helmet of the UAB Blazers on the sidelines during a game against the BYU Cougars during the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl at Independence Stadium on December 18, 2021 in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Blazers defeated the Cougars 31-28. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 18: Helmet of the UAB Blazers on the sidelines during a game against the BYU Cougars during the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl at Independence Stadium on December 18, 2021 in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Blazers defeated the Cougars 31-28. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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UAB football had the biggest stunner of the college football coaching carousel with news they’ll hire Super Bowl-winning QB Trent Dilfer as head coach.

Despite numerous Power Five head coaching vacancies needing to be filled and even with Auburn forgetting history and hiring Hugh Freeze, perhaps the wildest hire of the early coaching carousel came from UAB football on Tuesday night.

The Blazers, who played the season under interim head coach Bryant Vincent this season en route to going 6-6 after longtime coach Bill Clark retired in June due to medical reasons, are reportedly set to hire former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl-winner Trent Dilfer, per Ross Dellenger of SI.

A deal has not yet been finalized, but the move is expected to be done soon.

Dilfer, who spent 14 seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl as the Baltimore Ravens quarterabck in 2000, has spent the past four seasons coaching high school football in Nashville at Lipscomb Academy where he accrued a 38-8 record and won a state championship. He also came under fire during that job after video came to light that showed him yelling at and shoving a player. Dilfer has no college coaching experience.

UAB football hiring Trent Dilfer as head coach: Best memes and reactions

The news of Dilfer’s hiring sent shockwaves through the college football world, which prompted some pretty great reactions.

Earlier on Tuesday, some UAB football players had written to university president Ray Watts after they were unable to meet with him in order to try and advocate to retain Vincent as head coach.

https://twitter.com/fish_mcwilliams/status/1597665280708464640

This is a fascinating development, especially with conference realignment looming that will see UAB join the American Athletic Conference, which could be perceived as an elevated level of competition from Conference-USA where the Blazers have been residing.

Dilfer will now have his first college head coaching job and all eyes will be on the former Super Bowl-winner to see how he fares in Birmingham.

Next. College Football Head Coaching Carousel Tracker. dark

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