When the UCF opens camp in the coming weeks, it will signify more than a new year in Knights football, it will mark the beginning of a new era.
The most notable change comes at the top, where former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn has taken over, and his influence has quickly been felt.
Malzahn’s hiring marked a significant move for UCF because for the first time since the departure of George O’Leary, the Knights hired a coach that most likely would not be using the job as a stepping stone to a higher paying position.
The hiring of Malzahn most likely will break the trend of Scott Frost and Josh Heupel, who called UCF “a dream job,” … only to make a quick departure from the position.
First, the Knights are bringing in a head coach that has already done the Power 5 thing and competed at the highest levels. Malzahn, who led the Tigers to a national championship game against Florida State, won almost 70 percent of his games at Auburn. About the only thing he failed at was beating Alabama enough (What SEC coach has?) to satisfy the Tiger faithful.
This is an important point because at his age (he turns 56 in October), it appears unlikely that he will be looking to use UCF as a springboard to a bigger and better opportunity. He is young enough to be an effective coach for the next decade-plus but old enough to not necessary be on the radar of next power five school looking for a new coach.
With the potential imminent expansion of the College Football Playoff system around the corner, it also could make the Malzahn-UCF marriage stronger than ever. Although no details have been released, the public will go ballistic if at least one of the 12 postseason playoff spots is not reserved for a non-Power 5 school.
Essentially this will make it easier for a Malzahn-led UCF team to get to football’s version of “The Big Dance.” It is not a stretch to see that an easier path to the playoffs for an AAC power like UCF or Cincinnati will now exist. You have to ask what is more likely, UCF earning a spot or a team like North Carolina State, Iowa, Arizona State or Northwestern – given those schools will have a much tougher time qualifying for their conference championship game.
A more subtle change could also have a big impact on this new era. The hiring of Terry Mohajir to replace Danny White in the Athletic Director’s chair marks a significant change in philosophy. White, who was a highly effective AD who led UCF to new heights, did have a chip on his shoulder concerning his perception of the Knights’ proper pecking order in the college football hierarchy.
White’s insistence that the AAC was on par with the Power 5 Conferences (he called it the Power 6), his National Championship proclamation after the 2017 season and his refusal to accept any games with Power 5 teams unless they agreed to a home-and-home series rankled the feathers of many Power5 elitists.
Like Bobby Bowden in the early 1980s, Mohajir appears to be taking a totally different approach than White. He has publicly stated the Knights will play “anyone, anywhere.” Late last week and barely a few months into his regime, Mohajir has already brokered a 2-for-1 future football series with the Florida Gators.
While Mohajir’s bravado may stem from the fact that he knew college football playoff expansion was coming and the Knights will need some wins against Power 5 teams to impress selection committee members, his philosophy is a far cry from White’s decision to never play a one-off away game against a national power or to trade two road games for one at home.
Under White, Frost and Heupel, UCF has been able to build a successful athletic program that easily ranks in the top 30 in the national. Given that UCF is one of the largest public universities in the country, now has established and growing alumni base with financial resources, and is located in a huge (and growing market), the hiring of Mohajir and Malzahn could very well kick the status of UCF football up more than a few notches.
