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UAB fired coach Trent Dilfer on Sunday, halfway through his third season. It took all of half an hour for a program legend to publicly throw his hat in the ring. Four-time NFL Pro Bowler Roddy White, who starred for the Blazers from 2001-04, said on social media that he wants the coaching position at his alma mater.

White has no coaching experience, but he would not be the only former star player to jump into the industry out of the blue. This year alone, Michael Vick became a first-time head coach when he landed the Norfolk State job and DeShaun Jackson did the same at Delaware State. White could be the next in line to follow a path that Deion Sanders paved when he effectively broke the mold in 2020 at Jackson State.

"I want the job," White said in response to Dilfer's firing.

Despite the gaps on his résumé, White could be a natural fit at UAB. He was a third-team All-American with the Blazers in 2004 and is a member of the university's Hall of Fame. White closed his college career with a massively successful 2004 season in which he racked up 71 catches for 1,452 yards and 14 touchdowns. His yardage led the nation, and the 14 scores were a Conference USA-best.

White went on to enjoy a tremendous professional career. The former first-round pick led the NFL in receptions during the 2010 season and was later inducted into the Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor after he spent the entirety of his 11-year career with the franchise. During his prime, he logged six consecutive seasons with at least 1,153 receiving yards.

The UAB job is a historically tough one. The Blazers finished below .500 more often than not throughout their 28 years as an FBS program, and they have yet to crack the AP Top 25 rankings. Dilfer struggled in overseeing UAB's transition to the American Conference and went 9-21 overall and 5-14 in league play throughout his two and a half years at the helm.

UAB does, however, have proven upside. Following a two-year period in which the Blazers did not field a football team, former coach Bill Clark led them to their best seasons in program history. Across a five year stretch from 2017-21, Clark won eight or more games all but once and guided UAB to an 11-3 record in 2018.

The next coach will be tasked with rekindling the momentum Clark built during the best span in UAB history. Prior to Dilfer's arrival, the Blazers strung together seven straight winning seasons -- an unprecedented run and one that indicated UAB has a potential program on the rise.