Former NFL QB Trent Dilfer leaving high school ranks to become Alabama-Birmingham football coach

Former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer has resigned as Lipscomb Academy (Nashville) football coach and accepted the same position at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Dilfer, 50, announced to his team Wednesday that he resigned according to an email sent to Lipscomb Academy families from director of schools Brad Schultz. Dilfer still plans to coach in the team's second consecutive state championship game on Thursday against Nashville rival CPA. He was meeting with the UAB football team Wednesday afternoon.

"The timing of this release is not ideal with the Div II-AA State Championship game tomorrow," Schultz wrote in an email to the Lipscomb Academy community. "But, because the information was leaked overnight and is being reported in national media, we needed to share this news with our community."

Dilfer, who signed a three-year contract extension in the offseason, coached four seasons at Lipscomb Academy and has a 42-10 record. The Mustangs are the top-ranked team in the state, according to the Tennessee Super 25 high school rankings, and No. 14 in the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 rankings.

At UAB, Dilfer will replace interim coach and offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent, who took over for Bill Clark after Clark resigned in June for health reasons. The Blazers finished 6-6 this season, with a 4-4 mark in Conference USA and will play Miami (OH) in the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl on Dec. 16.

Dilfer spent 13 seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers, and he was the starting quarterback for the Ravens during their Super Bowl winning season in 2000.

After his playing career, Dilfer spent time as an NFL analyst and is also the head coach at the Elite 11 competition for high school quarterbacks.

USA TODAY Sports' Scooby Axson contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Trent Dilfer to be UAB head football coach, leaving Lipscomb Academy