UAB fires head coach Trent Dilfer midway through third season

UAB has fired head coach Trent Dilfer midway through his third season at the helm, the school announced on Sunday.

The move ends a disappointing tenure that began with his surprise hire from the high school ranks. Dilfer went 9-21 in his three seasons, including a 2-4 record this year after a loss to Florida Atlantic on Saturday. Offensive coordinator Alex Mortensen will serve as interim head coach.

Mortensen, who spent nine years on the Alabama staff, is the son of former longtime ESPN analyst Chris Mortensen.

A statement from UAB Director of Athletics Mark Ingram… pic.twitter.com/Eresp73EyF

— UAB Football (@UAB_FB) October 12, 2025

Dilfer went 0-15 in road games and 5-14 in conference play, with 18 of those 21 losses coming by double figures and 12 by at least 20 points. Because UAB doesn’t play another road game until Nov. 1, it will surpass the time it went without a road win when the program was shut down in 2015 and 2016 (1,063 days).

UAB football had been a feel-good college football story, as community support helped bring the program back to begin play in 2017, along with a new stadium and football operations building. Head coach Bill Clark stayed and won 42 games from 2017-21, including 11 wins in 2018. Clark stepped down before the 2022 season due to back issues, and interim head coach Bryant Vincent went 7-6, but athletic director Mark Ingram opted not to retain him and instead hired Dilfer.

Fans called for Dilfer to be fired after last season, but Ingram stood by his coach, giving him another year to turn it around. Instead, Dilfer only made it halfway through the season.

Some potential options to watch for the job include:

• Bryant Vincent (currently the ULM coach)• A Bill Clark return• Former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron• Former West Virginia head coach Neal Brown• Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton• Birmingham Stallions head coach Skip Holtz• Navy offensive coordinator Drew Cronic• Western Carolina head coach Kerwin Bell•Mercer head coach Mike Jacobs• Presbyterian head coach Steve Englehart• Prairie View A&M head coach Tremaine Jackson.