Trent Dilfer was a surprising choice when he was named the head coach at UAB on Dec. 1.

The Super Bowl-winning quarterback and former ESPN analyst, who spent 13 seasons in the NFL and was named a Pro Bowler in 1997, had no head coaching experience outside of his time leading Lipscomb Academy’s football program for 4 seasons and his time at the helm the Elite 11 quarterback camp.

UAB, though, is hoping that Dilfer can continue the program’s run of success. Under Bill Clark, who stepped aside after the 2021 season due to back issues, the Blazers were 49-26, including a 43-20 mark from 2017-2021 after not fielding a program for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Bryant Vincent was 7-6 as the interim head coach in 2022.

Dilfer, for his part, isn’t shy about where UAB belongs in Alabama’s pecking order:

Needless to say, Auburn fans won’t like that, especially as Hugh Freeze looks to return the Tigers to relevance in the SEC. We’ll see if Dilfer’s prediction comes to pass as he begins to put his prints on the Blazers’ program.