Trent Dilfer: Salary| Fired| Wiki| Who is| Contract| Super Bowl

Trent Dilfer: Who Is He?

Trent Farris Dilfer (born March 13, 1972) is an American former professional quarterback, NFL broadcaster, and (until October 2025) college football head coach. He is best known for leading the Baltimore Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XXXV, and later transitioning into media, high school, and collegiate coaching.

Early Life & College Career

• Dilfer was born in Santa Cruz, California, and attended Aptos High School in Aptos, California.

• He played college football at Fresno State, where he was a standout. In 1993, he won the Sammy Baugh Trophy and was a First-Team All-American.

• His performance in college led to him being selected 6th overall in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

NFL Playing Career

• Dilfer played 14 seasons in the NFL, for teams including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, and San Francisco 49ers.

• Over his career, he amassed 20,518 passing yards, 113 touchdown passes, and 129 interceptions.

• He had a reputation as a “game manager” style quarterback, often benefiting from strong defenses and balanced rosters around him.

Super Bowl Triumph

The crowning achievement of Dilfer’s playing career came with the Baltimore Ravens in the 2000 season:

• After a rocky start, Dilfer was inserted as starter midseason, and under his leadership the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV over the New York Giants, 34–7.

• In that game, he completed 12 of 25 passes for 153 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception (the interception was negated due to penalty).

• His victory is sometimes debated because the Ravens’ defense was historically dominant; nevertheless, he is officially the Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

Contract & Salary: Playing & Coaching

NFL Career Earnings & Contracts

• Over his NFL career, Dilfer earned more than $27 million in salary alone (excluding bonuses, endorsements, etc.).

• According to Spotrac, one of his significant contracts was a 4-year, $7.5 million deal with the Cleveland Browns (average $1.875 million).

• Earlier in his career, his rookie contract with Tampa Bay was 8 years, $16.5 million, including a $4.5 million signing bonus.

• His contract with the Ravens was more short-term, often one-year deals, reflecting the backup-to-starter transition.

• Later in his career, his contracts were smaller and more transactional as his role diminished.

Coaching Contract at UAB (2022–2025)

After retirement and years in media, Dilfer took a head coaching path:

• On November 30, 2022, Dilfer was named head coach of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Blazers — his first college coaching job.

• His contract was reportedly for five years, meant to run through January 31, 2028.

• The base salary under that contract was $1.2 million per year, with additional $50,000 talent fee and $50,000 promotion fee (total possible ~ $1.3 million).

• Some sources suggest that in 2024, his total compensation was $1.45 million (likely including bonuses).

• It was also reported that Dilfer voluntarily reduced $500,000 of his salary in order to increase funding for his assistant coaches.

• According to USA Today data, in 2023 his total pay was $1,300,000.

So in coaching, while he did not earn sums comparable to his NFL peak, his deal was solid for a first-time collegiate coach.

Fired From UAB: What Happened?

Tenure & Performance

• Dilfer’s time at UAB lasted from 2023 until October 12, 2025 when he was fired midseason.

• His record at the time was 9–21 over 30 games.

• Year by year:

• The team suffered especially weak defensive performances, ranking at or near the bottom in scoring defense (e.g. allowing ~41.3 points per game) in the conference.

• The final straw was a heavy 53–33 loss to Florida Atlantic, the third straight defeat, prompting the move.

Firing & Aftermath

• UAB’s athletic director, Mark Ingram, announced they parted ways with Dilfer citing the team’s poor on-field performance.

• Offensive coordinator Alex Mortensen (son of late ESPN analyst Chris Mortensen) was named interim head coach for the remainder of the 2025 season.

• The dismissal marks Dilfer’s first firing in a college coaching role.

• Some commentators speculated that UAB’s expectations were steep given their transition to a more competitive conference (American Athletic Conference).

Buyout & Contract Implications

• The specifics of the buyout from his UAB contract are less publicly reported. Some sources claim his contract included modest bonuses and not many punitive clauses.

• In media, his firing was characterized as swift but expected given the trend of losses.

Legacy & What’s Next

Strengths & Criticisms

Strengths:

1. Leadership & Intangibles: Dilfer has often been praised for his football intellect, leadership, and ability to manage games.

2. Super Bowl Pedigree: He has the distinction of a Super Bowl victory, which gives him credibility.

3. Media Experience: His years as an analyst (with ESPN, Fox Sports 1, NFL Network) gave him public visibility.

4. Willingness to Sacrifice: Reports of him reducing his salary to bolster staff funds show a commitment to team building.

Criticisms / Limitations:

• His lack of prior college coaching experience was always a concern.

• His teams struggled defensively and could not mount consistent wins.

• The transition from high school to FBS proved more challenging than anticipated.

What’s Next for Dilfer?

After being fired from UAB, possible paths for Dilfer include:

• Returning to media, where he already has strong experience and visibility.

• Other coaching roles — perhaps as position coach or coordinator somewhere in college or NFL.

• Consulting, quarterback camps, or mentorship roles in football development.

Summary

Trent Dilfer is a former NFL quarterback turned coach and media figure. He earned his highest acclaim by leading the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl XXXV win. Over his NFL career, he amassed over $27 million in guaranteed earnings, with multiple contracts at varied levels. Transitioning to coaching, Dilfer signed a five-year deal with UAB in 2022 at a base salary of $1.2 million plus bonuses. However, after compiling a 9–21 record across three seasons, weak defensive performance, and mounting losses, UAB fired him in October 2025. As of now, his future lies either in returning to broadcasting or finding a new coaching role.