Guz Malzahn accepted the offensive coordinator position at Florida State following UCF's disappointing 4-8 season, leaving the Knights searching for their next UCF football head coach. UCF has proven it can be a contender in college football with the right coach leading the charge. The Knights have won nine or more games in five of their past eight seasons, which includes an undefeated 13-0 record under Scott Frost in 2017. Frost is serving as a Senior Football Analyst for the NFL's Los Angeles Rams, but could he be in the mix following a disappointing venture with Nebraska from 2018-22?
UCF should have an intriguing list of candidates to target during the UCF football coaching search given its Power Four status and location in the talent-rich Sunshine State. If you love the Knights, or just want to know who will call the shots for UCF football in the future, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at Knights247, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Central Florida.
The Knights247 experts are providing on-the-ground updates on every development surrounding Malzahn's departure and the future of the Purdue football program, including insights from Stephen Leonard, who has deep-rooted ties around the UCF community, as well as other 247Sports national writers and analysts such as Brad Crawford and Cooper Petagna. Get all the inside scoop on the football program, plus VIP intel on UCF football, basketball, recruiting and more. Plus get access to the Citronaut Channel premium message board where you can connect with other UCF fans and insiders.
And right now, Knights247 is offering 50% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up. The team at Knights247 already has a list out of several potential candidates on and there are some surprising names on the list. Head to Knights247 now to see them all.
Top UCF football coach candidates
One name the Petagna has identified as a potential target is USF head coach Alex Golesh. He took over a USF program that went 1-11 in 2022 under Jeff Scott. Golesh led the Bulls to a 7-6 record in 2023 and a 6-6 record in 2024.
Golesh led the largest turnaround in USF program history and second largest in the FBS in 2023 with a six-win improvement over the Bulls 2022 record, first bowl bid since 2018 and first bowl win since 2017. Golesh's first USF team in 2023 set 12 team and 16 individual records, including the program's first 3,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard receiver.
"(Golesh) signed a top-50 class at USF last cycle according to the 247Sports Composite, tops in the Group of Five, and has shown progress offensively with Byrum Brown (and his 4,000 yards of total offense) at quarterback prior to his injury this fall," Crawford said. See more candidates at Knights247.
How to get insider UCF coaching staff search updates
The rest of the list includes some shocking names, including a Super Bowl-winning head coach and a big-name former Power Four coach with direct ties to the program. You can only see who them are at Knights247.
Who are the top candidates in the UCF football coaching search, and which Super Bowl-winning coach could be a fit? Go to The Knights247 to see their UFC coaching hot board and more, and find out.
And reminder, Knights247 is offering 50% off an annual VIP membership as a coaching search special, so subscribe now before it's too late.
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