December 4, 2024 – BIRMINGHAM, AL – University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics Director Mark Ingram announced that "Coach Dilfer will continue to be our head coach in 2025." The announcement that ends weeks of speculation that the university might be making a change at the position.
Some Blazer fans had expressed concerns about the state of the program after Dilfer went 4 and 8 in his first season and 3 and 9 in his second season.
"Our last two football seasons have not met UAB's standard of excellence in the least, and nobody - especially Coach Dilfer and myself - thinks that's ok," said Ingram in a statement. "However, in his short time as a Blazer, Coach Dilfer has demonstrated a tireless work ethic - both on and off the field - to make a positive impact at UAB and on the Birmingham community. "
"The last two seasons have been disappointing, but Coach Dilfer has learned a great deal and has a plan for the future," Ingram continued. "NIL and the transfer portal make this perhaps the most challenging time in college football history. But I have seen Coach Dilfer's dedication and believe that his football IQ, commitment to UAB, passion for the game, love for student athletes and relentless work ethic will pay off in the near future. For those reasons, Coach Dilfer will continue to be our head coach in 2025."
"His efforts to support our players academically have already paid off in notable increases in the team's Academic Progress Rate, and I look forward to seeing his continued efforts turn into wins on the field - which is what we are all working to achieve," said Ingram. "This is our collective focus, and we have the strong support of our university leadership, System Office and Board of Trustees. Our institutional support is among the highest of the public institutions in The American, and we will continue to make additional investments to increase competitiveness."
"The most important thing right now is for Coach Dilfer to focus on his plan and address what needs to be done moving forward," Ingram concluded. "We will make operational and staff changes, as well as additional investments. I support Coach Dilfer and the team, and I will do everything I can to help them compete for bowl eligibility and championships in The American and beyond. Thank you for all you do to support UAB Athletics. Your continued support is essential to our success."
The University also released a statement from Coach Dilfer in which he expressed his own disappointment at the 7 and 17 start to his college coaching career.
"Our fans deserve better than the win-loss record we've given them the last two years, but I have worked extremely hard and learned a lot, and I am confident in the clearer picture I have regarding what needs to happen for UAB Football to win," stated Coach Dilfer. "I am committed to doing what it takes to win. We need to do some things differently, and I have a plan to get our program where it needs to be. I have talked extensively with AD Ingram and appreciate his support of UAB Football. I also appreciate the significant investments and support our program receives from the institution, as well as commitments our leadership has made to increasing support."
Wednesday was also the first day of the early signing period. ESPN has UAB's recruiting class ranked outside of the top 75.. Ja'Lyen Judson a 6-0 163 pound three star cornerback out of Oxford High School in Mississippi and Zach Johnson a 6-3 230 pound edge rusher from Carrollwood Day HS in Tampa, Florida have both signed letters of intent to
The University of Alabama is currently ranked number 4 by ESPN and Auburn University is ranked number 7. Troy University and South Alabama are also ranked outside of the top 75. 247 Sports has the UAB 2025 recruiting class ranked 135. The AP has UAB ranked at #12 out of 14 teams in the All American Conference; but it is still very early in the recruiting process and finally having some clarity on the coaching staff should help Coach Dilfer and UAB close on more athletes in coming days. Recruiting rankings for group of five schools are very fluid at this point in the process.
The transfer portal opens on December 9. Coach Dilfer has promised to be very active in the portal if a number of UAB players leave in the portal as some national sites have predicted.
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