The Central Florida Knights fell short of expectations this season under Gus Malzahn, finishing the year with a 4-8 record. Fortunately for the program, instead of being forced to buy out Malzahn’s contract, he now owes the UCF Knights money after bolting for another job and his replacement could already be coming.
As reported by the Tallahassee Democrat, Malzahn owes Central Florida $6 million because he terminated his contract with the program before June 30, 2025. That money is poised to go right back into the UCF coaching search, which is moving quickly with the college football coaching carousel underway.
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- UCF Knights record: 10-15 over the last two seasons, 4-8 in 2024
According to FootballScoop.com‘s John Brice, the Knights are “zeroing in on” Liberty Flames head coach Jamey Chadwell to take over as UCF’s football coach in 2025. The coaching search, led by athletic director Terry Mohajir, is “focusing heavily” on Chadwell as Malzahn’s replacement.
Chadwell, age 47, is one of the top up-and-coming coaches in college football. An East Tennessee State alum, he landed his first head-coaching gig at North Greenville where he posted a 21-14 record. By 2013, he took over at Charleston Southern and led the program to two double-digit win seasons, finishing with a 35-14 mark before becoming Coastal Carolina’s head coach in 2017.
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- Jamey Chadwell coaching record: 60-26 overall, 21-4 as Liberty Flames head coach
After posting an 8-16 record in his first two seasons at Coastal Carolina, Chadwell led the program to consecutive 11-win seasons with a trip to the Cure Bowl. Following a 9-3 campaign in 2022, he was hired to replace Hugh Freeze as Liberty’s head coach.
With successful head-coaching stints at multiple stops and different levels, Central Florida would seem to be a logical next stepping stone in Chadwell’s career. Considering there aren’t any really appealing SEC coaching jobs this year, the Knights might have a strong chance of landing Chadwell. If it happens, it should be viewed as a head-coaching upgrade over Malzahn.
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