UCF head coach Gus Malzahn spoke during Big 12 football Media Days on July 10 in Las Vegas.
The coaching change at UCF comes after a five-game losing streak. Co-defensive coordinator and associate head coach Addison Williams will replace Ted Roof, who was hired in January after spending two seasons at Oklahoma. Roof’s final game at OU was a loss to Arizona in the Alamo Bowl last season. He and Malzahn previously worked together as coordinators under Gene Chizik at Auburn from 2009 to 2011, where they won a national championship.
“I’m a football coach first, but as a leader and head coach, I have to do what’s best for my team,” Malzahn stated. “This is the right decision for us.”
In the last two weeks, UCF’s defense has struggled, giving up 38 points to Iowa State and 37 points to BYU, with a combined total of 1,010 yards allowed. The Knights currently rank 12th in the Big 12 for total defense, surrendering just over 379 yards per game.
Arizona head coach Brent Brennan acknowledged that preparing for a team undergoing coaching changes can be challenging.
“It’s tough to implement major changes mid-season, so I expect some elements of their previous scheme will still be in play,” he said. “It poses a challenge, as what you see on film might not fully reflect what they’ll do.”
Brennan noted that his initial impressions of UCF’s defense indicate they have “a really active front.”
“Coach Malzahn has a long track record of success,” Brennan added. “We’re heading into a tough road game, and both teams have faced struggles this season, making this a hard-fought battle.”
Extra Points
Brennan commented on Montana Lemonious-Craig’s reduced playing time, stating, “We’re evaluating all parts of our team, and Chris Hunter has been performing well, so he’s getting more live-game reps. Montana remains an important player for us, but you’ll see Chris Hunter on the field more, too.”
For the Arizona-UCF game, the FS1 broadcast team will feature Dan Hellie (play-by-play) and Robert Smith (analyst).
Brennan also shared his favorite Halloween candy: 100 Grand bars, which he considers “incredibly underrated,” along with Sour Patch Watermelons and Starburst. He revealed that Spider-Man has been his go-to costume since he was four years old. “I’ve dressed as Spider-Man over 20 times, even before all the movies came out,” he said.
