Newly hired UAB football head coach Trent Dilfer is bringing Sione Ta'ufo'ou onto his staff as the Blazers' defensive coordinator.
Ta'ufo'ou served as Dilfer's defensive coordinator at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville since 2020. He was part of a staff that won back-to-back Tennessee state championships under Dilfer.
The Northern California native spent seven years as a head coach at two different California high schools. He spent five seasons at Menlo Atherton High, advancing to the CIF Central Coast championship game in 2011, and was at Archbishop Mitty High in San Jose for two seasons.
Ta'ufo'ou also has experience coaching quarterbacks with Dilfer in the Elite 11 and through Difference Makers, Inc., which was a quarterback academy that he founded. He also worked with Dilfer in The Opening.
Like Dilfer, this is the first college coaching job for Ta'ufo'ou.
During an appearance on the McElroy and Cubelic radio show on Wednesday, Dilfer spoke about the hire, saying that Ta'ufo'ou is "the finest football coach I've ever been around in my life."
Dilfer also spoke on the radio show about Alex Mortensen, who he hired as the program's offensive coordinator late last week.
"He's a brilliant mind," Dilfer said of Mortensen during his appearance on the show. "He's been the glue in Alabama's offense for seven years. He personally recruited Tua [Tagovailoa], Bryce [Young], Jalen [Hurts], Mac [Jones]. I know that because I was doing the Elite 11 while he was recruiting those guys. We talked a lot of ball over the years. He's a great teacher, and he's a leader. He's just got natural leadership skills."
Neither of the hires has been officially announced by UAB.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email steve.irvine@1819news.com.
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