Lipscomb Academy coach Trent Dilfer. Matthew Diggs | For Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The ESPN-to-coach pipeline continues with latest coaching hire by UAB

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 11/30/22

Former ESPN football analyst Trent Dilfer is in line to become the next head coach of the UAB Blazers, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. He’s the second former ESPN analyst this month to land a coaching gig.

Sources: Trent Dilfer is expected to become the next head coach at UAB. A deal hasn’t been formalized, but the sides are likely to come to terms in the upcoming days.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 30, 2022

Jeff Saturday went from “Get Up” to forgetting timeouts exist — a better explanation for Monday night’s gaffe against Pittsburgh than what he offered after the game — while Dilfer was laid off in 2017, after he tried (and failed) to get a private jet because Kirk Herbstreit had one, per Dan Le Batard. (h/t Awful Announcing)

Like Saturday, Dilfer’s only previous coaching experience is at the high school level.

Dilfer was QB for the Baltimore Ravens during its 2001 Super Bowl-winning season. In 13 seasons as an NFL QB, Dilfer had 113 regular season starts and went 58-55.

He was 1759-of-3172 (55.5%) for 20,518 yards and 113 touchdowns and 129 interceptions.

Most coaches at the collegiate and pro level have some experience as a coordinator or assistant at that level before getting the opportunity to lead a program.

Having two openings filled by analysts with no experience above the high school level in the span of weeks is a bit of a surprise.

Dilfer does have more recent experience coaching on Fridays than Saturday did, but not all of it’s been good.

In 2021 as head coach at Lipscomb Academy, Dilfer had to apologize for an ugly confrontation with a player on his team on the sideline during a game, the son of a former NFL teammate, kicker Phil Dawson. (h/t Pro Football Talk)