After four years in Orlando, Gus Malzahn’s time as the UCF Knights’ head coach has come to an end.
Malzahn is stepping down from his head coaching position to take on the role of offensive coordinator at Florida State, ESPN reported Saturday.
UCF lost 28-14 to Utah in its regular season finale Friday, Malzahn’s final game coaching the Knights.
UCF confirmed Malzahn’s exit and released a statement thanking the coach for his time with the program.
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Head coach Gus Malzahn of the UCF Knights during pregame warmups before a game against the Florida Atlantic Owls at FAU Stadium Sept. 17, 2022, in Boca Raton, Fla. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
“We would like to thank Coach Malzahn for his contributions to our football program over the past four seasons, including our transition into the Big 12 Conference,” a statement from the school said. “We appreciate his professionalism and dedication to our student-athletes throughout his tenure at UCF and wish he and his wife, Kristi, the very best in their future endeavors.”
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Malzahn leaves UCF with a 28-24 record, but the last two seasons have been disappointing. The Knights finished the 2023 regular season with a 6-6 record before losing the Gasparilla Bowl to Georgia Tech. Friday’s loss dropped UCF’s record this season to 4-8.
UCF joined the Big 12 ahead of the 2023 season.
Central Florida head coach Gus Malzahn directs his team during the second half of a game against Utah Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Malzahn spent eight seasons as the Auburn Tigers’ head coach before his dismissal in 2020. He coached Auburn to the Southeastern Conference title and a berth in the BCS national championship game in 2013.
Malzahn replaces offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Alex Atkins, who was fired Nov. 10 after Florida State’s 52-3 loss at Notre Dame. The Seminoles rank 131st out of 134 teams in total offense and scoring offense, averaging 15.8 points a game heading into Saturday night’s rivalry game against Florida.
Doak S. Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla., as the Florida State Seminoles and the Florida Gators face off Nov. 30, 2024. (Melina Myers/Imagn Images)
The Seminoles (2-9) have fallen since going 13-1 last season and winning the Atlantic Coast Conference championship.
The Knights, meanwhile, struggled in Malzahn’s fourth season, mostly due to quarterback issues. Four players took snaps from center, and the Knights finished 2-7 in conference play. It was the program’s worst record since going 0-12 in former coach George O’Leary’s final season in 2015.
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In addition to Atkins, Florida State coach Mike Norvell decided to part ways with defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and receivers coach Ron Dugans during the Seminoles’ disappointing season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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