Incoming UAB head football coach Trent Dilfer was in the Bahamas for the Blazers' appearance in the Hometown Lenders Bahamas Bowl game.
Dilfer, who played in the NFL and was formerly an ESPN analyst, was hired just over two weeks ago to fill the void left by Bill Clark, who stepped down right before the 2022 season due to health issues.
During the middle of his new team's bowl game, Dilfer spoke with ESPN about why he was the man for the job and how he planned to lead the program. He said he would serve the student-athletes and make them better humans because the country is not "in a great place."
"[W]e've forgotten that the student-athletes are the ones that matter. We'll be student-athlete-centric. We're doing this to serve them. We'll be all about serving the student-athlete," Dilfer outlined. "We want to make them great husbands and fathers. They're going to be professionals in something, right? Lawyers, doctors, some will be professional football players. But we want to put a staff together and start pouring into these young men and help them be better humans. I don't know if you've turned on the news lately, but it's really hard to turn on the news and feel like our country's in a great place, no matter what you're watching, right? We want to help change that with this next generation by pouring into young men and helping them change this world for the better. And they'll play good football in the process."
"If you want to be served, if you want to chase your best, if you want to pursue your maximum potential, this is going to be the place for you. But if you're here for transactional experiences, if you're here not to go to school, if you're here not to treat women right, if you're here not to make an impact in our communities, this probably is not the place for you," he added. "I'm very steadfast on this."
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email trent.baker@1819news.com.
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