Trent Dilfer returning as Lipscomb Academy's football coach

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Trent Dilfer is returning to Nashville.

Dilfer was hired as Lipscomb Academy’s TSSAA football coach, the school announced Jan. 8, reuniting the Super Bowl-winning quarterback and former ESPN analyst with the high school program he helped revive seven years ago.

Lipscomb informed coach Jamie Graham this week of the coaching change, but have asked for and hope he remains on staff, a source told The Tennessean.

Dilfer transformed Lipscomb back into a Tennessee high school football power during his tenure from 2019-22, with two Division II-AA state titles and a state runner-up finish. He resigned in 2022 to become the coach at UAB, where he went 9-21 before his firing in October.

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“I have experienced football at all levels, and I have come to realize that my heart is in coaching high school football," Dilfer stated in a release from Lipscomb. "Our goal is to develop young men who are Set Apart — who compete with discipline; serve others; and model Christ in the classroom, in the community and on the field. It is truly a level where you can have a lasting impact on young student athletes.”

Dilfer added that his hire “is a ‘forever move’ for me due to my family in Nashville and Lipscomb’s mission. We’re putting down roots.” His official start date is Jan. 16.

The Mustangs have struggled since Dilfer left. His immediate successor, NFL Hall of Famer Kevin Mawae, went 4-6 in his only season and Lipscomb Academy was barred from the 2023 and 2024 TSSAA football playoffs due to a recruiting violation.

Lipscomb Academy Head of School Brad Schultz said in a release that the school reviewed Dilfer's "personal growth" as well as his aspirations for the program and goals for student-athletes.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Coach Dilfer back," Schultz said in a release. "Trent is a man who knows and loves our community. Trent is a mentor who shares our commitment to Bible-based education. Trent is a coach who boasts a proven record of success at this school. And Trent is a leader who brings tremendous energy to our culture and pursuit of excellence."

Trent Dilfer returning to TSSAA football, Lipscomb Academy

Dilfer went 44-10 in four seasons as Lipscomb’s coach and took the Mustangs to three consecutive state championship games from 2020 to 2022, winning back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022. The program was 3-19 in two seasons before his hire in 2019.

Dilfer, the sixth overall NFL Draft pick in 1994 by Tampa Bay, played 14 seasons in the league with the Buccaneers, Baltimore, Seattle, Cleveland and San Francisco. He finished with 20,518 yards passing and won a Super Bowl in 2021 with Baltimore.

He went to work at ESPN in retirement and also helped coach high school quarterbacks for the network’s Elite 11 program.

Dilfer oversaw changes at Lipscomb Academy, with everything from new uniforms and helmets to a video board and artificial turf at their stadium. His Mustangs were perennially talented, but those teams competed in Division II-AA. Lipscomb has since been moved up to DII-AAA, which has been dominated by Chattanooga boarding schools Baylor and McCallie. Baylor (2) and McCallie (5) have combined to win the last seven championships.

Lipscomb is 10-21 in three seasons in DII-AAA.

Dilfer had left Tennessee by the time the TSSAA loosened its transfer rules and began allowing student-athletes to receive name, image and likeness payments. The TSSAA might soon adopt a one-time transfer rule without exceptions, a move that would figure to help Dilfer build a roster.

Dilfer is still beloved by former players.

“The Dilfer days at Lipscomb were some of the best of my life. Coach Dilfer is the perfect fit forLipscomb," Tennessee linebacker Edwin Spillman, a 2024 Lipscomb graduate, said in a release. "He’s helped so many young players and young adults transition to play high-level college football and sports and taught us how to be better men and how to better ourselves."

Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, @tpalmateer83.

He also contributes to The Tennessean's high school sports newsletter, The Bootleg. Subscribe to The Bootleg here.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Trent Dilfer hired as Lipscomb Academy football coach

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