A coach is like a charioteer who steers the team in the right direction. One of the most crucial qualifiers for a coach is to maintain their cool in a high-octane live match. A fraction of a second can cost the team its entire gameplay.
A coach losing his temper in the middle of the play is frowned upon in football and also implies a lack of sportsmanship.
He might be a prolific strategist, but Trent Dilfer needs to learn a thing or two about anger management and teamwork.
Dilfer’s rage saga dates back to 2021 when Trent Dilfer was appointed head coach at a private Christian liberal arts institution, Lipscomb University, in Nashville. In the middle of the play, Dilfer was seen roughhousing the team’s good player Beau Dawson across the sideline and then shoving him towards the bench as the player talked back in a 62-7 win.
Unbeknownst to him, Dilfer could have been charged with a Class A misdemeanor in the state of Tenessee. He drafted a statement, supposed to be an apology after the incident–
“I want to address the incident on our sideline during Friday night’s game vs. Independence that has drawn a lot of attention. First and foremost, I take full responsibility as the head coach and leader of our team for not de-escalating an emotional situation with one of our players, Beau Dawson. Beau is one of our finest student-athletes and embodies all the characteristics we are looking for in our Mustang players. Beau plays the game with the right kind of passion and is an inspiration to our other players.
During a moment of frustration in an attempt to get our team to play with more discipline, I unfairly singled Beau out. Somehow, Beau Dawson has been portrayed publicly as the culprit in this situation, when in reality, I should have been a better leader and shown greater wisdom and discernment in how I handled this incident. Overall, I could not be more proud of Beau and the rest of our team for how they handle the emotional nature of each game they compete in.”
Giving credit where it’s due, Dilfer did take accountability for his violent actions against a college student. But it seems that he has yet to learn from his mistakes.
On September 30, during the crucial match between the Blazers and Green Wave teams, all hell broke lose because of a penalty. Blazer’s coach, Trent Dilfer, was hollering at the assistant coaches as his team took an “L” with a 35-23 loss to Tulane’s team. The video went viral on X, where people judged his lapse of judgment.
Why Did UAB Coach Trent Dilfer Yell At The Assistant Coaches?
University of Alabama at Birmingham appointed the former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer as Blazer’s head coach. The following match with Tulane University’s Green Wave Team was critical in determining the team’s position in the National Championship.
On Saturday, the fourth quarter brought in a nail-biting gameplay between the teams, at 28-20. Every point, every yard was on the line. And one minor misstep cost the Blazers a massive penalty. UAB was flagged for having “too many men” on the field. Here’s a quick breakdown–
- UAB had a 20-7 advantage during halftime and was trailing in the game 28-20.
- It was early in the fourth quarter.
- For a one-possession game, UAB had around 12 men on the field. The team forced a three-and-out to bring up a punt on fourth-and-two.
- The team was imposed with an illegal substitution penalty.
- Tulane got a first down, giving the Green Wave an edge of five minutes on the clock in the fourth quarter.
Trent Dilfer lost it at this point and went ballistic on special teams coordinator and secondary coach Kenneth Gilstrap. He then turned to defensive line coach Miguel Patrick and unleashed wrath on him and another assistant.
Some reports stated that Trent Dilfer said–
“It’s just unacceptable…You have 24 headsets or 22 headsets, I’m asking the question, and we can’t count to 11 or 12. It’s unacceptable.”
The Internet Did Not Agree With Dilfer’s Demeanor, Condemning His Unruly Behavior
What is your take on this? Do you think Dilfer displayed poor teamwork by yelling at the assistant coaches?
Was his rage justifiable? Let us know in the comments section below.
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