FBC Mortgage Stadium, the Knights' home field
UCF playing Texas at FBC Mortgage Stadium, then Bright House Networks Stadium, in 2007

The UCF Knights college football team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), representing the University of Central Florida in the Big 12 Conference. Since the program's first season in 1979 under Don Jonas, the Knights have played more than 517 games, with over 290 victories. UCF has won six division titles (2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2018), six conference championships (2007, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018), and has made ten postseason appearances since joining FBS, including three BCS/NY6 bowl games.[1] The Knights also claim a National Championship for the 2017 season, as recognized by the Colley Matrix. The Knights' current head coach is Gus Malzahn. The Knights have played their home games at FBC Mortgage Stadium, located on the main campus of UCF in Orlando, Florida, since 2007.

UCF began as a Division III program, moving in succession to Division II, Division I-AA (FCS), and subsequently completed their ascension to Division I-A (FBS) in 1996. Initially a Division I-A Independent the Knights first moved into a "Group of Five" conference in 2002, and then into a "Power Five" conference in 2023.[2] In doing so, the Knights became the first NCAA football program to play at all four sanctioned levels. As a Division I–AA program, the Knights made the 1990 and 1993 playoffs.[3]

After George O'Leary took over the program, the Knights gained national prominence as members of C-USA and later the AAC. O'Leary guided UCF to their first division title (2005), first conference championship (2007), first bowl game (2005), first bowl victory (2010), first appearance/victory in a New Year's Six game (2014), first national rankings,[4][5] and numerous other milestones and superlatives.

The Knights' main rivals are the South Florida Bulls; other historic rivals include East Carolina and Marshall. UCF has played one Consensus All-American, Kevin Smith in 2007, and produced three Heisman Trophy candidates, Daunte Culpepper in 1998, Kevin Smith in 2007, and McKenzie Milton in 2017 and 2018. The program has also produced a long-line of NFL players.[6] Playing in fourteen Super Bowls and including four pro-bowlers, the list most notably includes Blake Bortles, Brandon Marshall, Bruce Miller, Daunte Culpepper, Matt Prater, Asante Samuel, and Josh Sitton.

Seasons

Year Coach Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
Don Jonas (Division III Independent) (1979–1981)
1979 Don Jonas 6–2
1980 Don Jonas 4–4–1
1981 Don Jonas 4–6
Sam Weir (Division II Independent) (1982)
1982 Sam Weir 0–10
Lou Saban (Division II Independent) (1983–1984)
1983 Lou Saban 5–6
1984 Lou Saban[n 1] 2–9[n 1]
Gene McDowell (Division II Independent) (1985–1989)
1985 Gene McDowell 4–7
1986 Gene McDowell 6–5
1987 Gene McDowell 9–4L NCAA Division II Semifinal
1988 Gene McDowell 6–5
1989 Gene McDowell 7–3
Gene McDowell (FCS Independent) (1990–1995)
1990 Gene McDowell 10–4L NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal
1991 Gene McDowell 6–5
1992 Gene McDowell 6–4
1993 Gene McDowell 9–3L NCAA Division I-AA First Round
1994 Gene McDowell 7–4
1995 Gene McDowell 6–5
Gene McDowell (FBS Independent) (1996–1997)
1996 Gene McDowell 5–6
1997 Gene McDowell 5–6
Mike Kruczek (FBS Independent) (1998–2001)
1998 Mike Kruczek 9–2
1999 Mike Kruczek 4–7
2000 Mike Kruczek 7–4
2001 Mike Kruczek 6–5
Mike Kruczek (Mid-American Conference) (2002–2003)
2002 Mike Kruczek 7–56–22nd (East)
2003 Mike Kruczek[n 2] 3–9[n 2]2–6[n 2]5th (East)
George O'Leary (Mid-American Conference) (2004)
2004 George O'Leary 0–110–87th (East)
George O'Leary (Conference USA) (2005–2012)
2005 George O'Leary 8–57–11st (East)L Hawai'i
2006 George O'Leary 4–83–54th (East)
2007 George O'Leary 10–47–11st (East)L Liberty
2008 George O'Leary 4–83–54th (East)
2009 George O'Leary 8–56–22nd (East)L St. Petersburg
2010 George O'Leary 11–37–11st (East)W Liberty2021
2011 George O'Leary 5–73–54th (East)
2012 George O'Leary 10–47–1T–1st (East)W Beef 'O' Brady's
George O'Leary (American Athletic Conference) (2013–2015)
2013 George O'Leary 12–18–01stW Fiesta†1210
2014 George O'Leary 9–47–1T–1stL St. Petersburg
2015 George O'Leary[n 3] 0–12[n 3]0–8[n 3]6th (East)
Scott Frost (American Athletic Conference) (2016–2017)
2016 Scott Frost 6–74–43rd (East)L Cure
2017 Scott Frost 13–08–01st (East)W Peach†76
Josh Heupel (American Athletic Conference) (2018–2020)
2018 Josh Heupel 12–18–01st (East)L Fiesta†1112
2019 Josh Heupel 10–36–22nd (East)W Gasparilla2424
2020 Josh Heupel 6–45–34thL Boca Raton
Gus Malzahn (American Athletic Conference) (2021–present)
2021 Gus Malzahn 9–45–33rdW Gasparilla
2022 Gus Malzahn 9–56–2T–2ndL Military
Total:290–226–1
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Notes

  1. 1 2 After a 1–6 start to the season, Saban stepped away from the program, and was replaced by assistant coach Jerry Anderson.
  2. 1 2 3 Head coach Mike Kruczek was fired following a 3–7 start. Kruczek was replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach and former player Alan Gooch who finished out the season.
  3. 1 2 3 Following UCF's 59–10 defeat by Houston on homecoming, dropping the Knights to an 0–8 record, O'Leary resigned as head football coach. Quarterbacks coach Danny Barrett served as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

References

General:

  • Holic, Nathan, and the UCF Alumni Association. University of Central Florida: The Campus History Series (2009), ISBN 978-0-7385-6768-6
  • MacCambridge, Michael. ESPN College Football Encyclopedia: The Complete history of the Game (2005), ISBN 1-4013-3703-1

In-text:

  1. ↑ "UCF Football History". University of Central Florida Athletics. 2009. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
  2. ↑ Vannini, Chris (July 12, 2023). "Inside UCF's rise from D-III to Big 12 and what's next: 'This could be the premier place'". The Atlantic. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Division I–AA Football Comes to Orlando". University of Central Florida Athletic Association. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  4. ↑ "UCF ranked No. 23 in coaches poll and No. 25 in AP, vaulting into Top 25 for first time in school history". Orlando Sentinel. November 7, 2010. Archived from the original on November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  5. ↑ "UCF ranked No. 25 in latest USA Today coaches poll". Orlando Sentinel. November 28, 2010. Archived from the original on December 2, 2010. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  6. ↑ "UCF Knights Football Record by Year".
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