The UAB Blazers are a train wreck of a football team right now, so it’s no surprise head coach Trent Dilfer’s media sessions after each loss have become tough to watch, for fans and reporters alike.
Dilfer struggled through another painful presser Saturday, after Tulane crushed UAB, 71-20, in Birmingham. The crowd appeared sparse enough it seemed possible to count fans individually.
UAB is now 1-4, after finishing 4-8 in Dilfer’s first season. An unpopular hire at the time, the former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst is on the hot seat, with fans calling for his termination.
Dilfer has not helped his cause with his behavior at post-game press conferences. After a loss last week to Navy, he welcomed his young grandson to the podium with him, telling reporters, “It’s not like this is freakin’ Alabama. Let’s go.”
No coach wants to field questions after a 71-20 blowout, but Dilfer gamely took his seat Saturday afternoon To his credit, he took all the blame for the debacle, which he called “embarrassing” and “humiliating.”
“I apologized to the team for not getting them ready for that type of physical nature of football,” Dilfer said. “I’ll say to the fans I think you deserve more, the city of Birmingham deserves more. If you are going to be angry, please be angry at me. Don’t be angry at our kids. Our kids are giving us everything they have, and it’s my job to make sure something like this never happens again.”
Dilfer didn’t have any “It’s not like this if freakin’ Alabama” moments in the press conference, but it was clear he’d rather be elsewhere. At one point, he put his head in his hands after a reporter asked why he called two late timeouts with the game well out of hand.
“Trying to play as much football as possible,” he said. “You get better at football by playing football.”
Dilfer is now 5-12 at UAB. The Blazers had posted six consecutive winning seasons since reinstating football in 2017 after a two-year shutdown. Many fans have seen enough. And from the media’s perspective, Dilfer’s post-game sessions after each loss are a tough experience. It’s not easy seeing someone deal with a situation that, at the moment, appears hopeless.
[WVTM 13 News]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.