The last two seasons have been the busiest years for college football head coaches, as 61 programs have appointed new head coaches. That is a whopping 44.9% of the D1 programs (almost half) are experimenting with a new head coach. But these traditional methods have not worked for a G-5 program yet. So, they have turned to LinkedIn after several attempts to land a head coach failed.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham has just put an advert on LinkedIn for the head coaching vacancy. The advert was posted 1 day ago, and more than 100 people have already applied for the job. Though the program has since turned off accepting applications, it just goes to show how difficult it is for them to find the right fit in the coaching market. It’s a clear case of demand and supply, and currently, it seems UAB is at the bottom of that pyramid.

It’s been more than 50 days since UAB head coach Trent Dilfer was fired, and OC Alex Mortensen has been leading the program since then. Mortensen has so far accumulated a 2-4 record and hasn’t bolstered his case of being offered the job. That also included an 18-48 humbling at the hands of South Florida. Not to mention, off-field controversies have plagued the team since Trent Dilfer’s firing.

“Several players understandably chose to sit out (the USF game). We want to be very sympathetic to what everyone’s going through, and make sure that everyone understood they had an opportunity to seek counseling, or anything that they needed or wanted,” said interim head coach Mortensen.

Notably, two of UAB’s players were allegedly stabbed by another player during the team’s training, and that led to widespread unrest about the program’s disciplinary status. So far, several college football coaches and head coaches have been contacted by the program, and none of them has accepted the job.

UAB turned to Western Michigan head coach Lance Taylor. However, Taylor rejected the job prospect outright. The same was the case with Mercer head coach Mike Jacobs. Navy offensive coordinator Drew Cronic was also offered the job, but his decision was the same as Lance Taylor and Mike Jacobs.

“First of all, I really like where I am now. We’re blessed to be at the Naval Academy — there are a lot of things that are unique and special about it,” said the OC. Cronic has been pivotal in leading the Navy Midshipmen to a 10-win season this year and has head coaching experience at Mercer, Reinhardt, and Lenoir-Rhyne.

Turning down the job was one thing for Cronic, but he also signaled that the job was a downward step in his career. “If any opportunities come up that might make sense, we look at them, and we pray about them,” said the OC. UAB, though, hasn’t given a reason for coaches to accept their job. And only a newer coach in the CFB may be tempted to accept the role. But that’s not what UAB wants.

UAB needs a final decision on its head coach swiftly

UAB finished 4-8 this year and was 3-9 last year. The program has still been searching for a conference title since 2020. And Alex Mortensen, coming right after his NFL career with no prior head coaching experience, didn’t do them any good. That’s why UAB is treading cautiously and avoiding hiring an inexperienced head coach again.

The program would also want to end its search swiftly since the early national signing period officially started today. The period is pivotal for recruits to sign an NIL with their respective programs, and UAB still has four three-star commits looking to do that. Not just that, the transfer portal is also around the corner, starting from January 2nd, and an experienced head coach will be best suited to address all the simultaneous possibilities.

According to Steve Irvine of the Birmingham Banner, UAB has narrowed its head coaching search down to three candidates. UAB’s interim head coach, Alex Mortensen, Ryan Beard of Missouri State, and Presbyterian head coach Steve Englehart.

While Mortensen is still in the mix, the other two candidates have better resumes. Beard has guided the Bears’ transition from FCS to FBS with a 7-5 record in MSU’s first campaign at college football’s top level. Similarly, the impact of Englehart is for everyone to see. After a 1-10 record in 2022, the HC has not looked back. Last season, the Blue Hose won 6 games, and this year they reached the 10-win plateau. It remains to be seen whether the coaches accept the UAB job or not. In the absence of that, platforms like LinkedIn offer some respite.