In a move that comes almost completely out of left field, UCF announced the hiring of Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel as its new head coach:
UCF pulls a stunner and hires Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel as new head coach
Scott Frost’s replacement is a name that few saw coming.
Heupel also is bringing a decidedly Florida connection on his staff as well in defensive coordinator Randy Shannon:
After losing Scott Frost to Nebraska on Saturday, UCF had its search centered around former Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin before moving on Monday evening:
A source close to the hiring process told SB Nation that “Sumlin thinks it’s a great job, but sees himself as a better fit elsewhere.”
Heupel, who is a branch off Mike Leach’s coaching tree, keeps UCF going in an offensive direction. He has Mizzou’s offense humming with QB Drew Lock, and despite early-season struggles, the Tigers always had a plan. It just took a little while to work:
The Tiger offense has an identity, one that we’ve seen work in college football. They are very organized in between snaps, and they go from end of play to beginning of play better than just about anybody in college football.
That doesn’t matter if you aren’t doing much from beginning of play to end of play, obviously. And it doesn’t matter if guys aren’t actually improving enough as players. But knowing what you want to do and how you want to do it — that counts for something.
On Tuesday morning, the chatter throughout the industry had centered around both Troy coach Neal Brown and Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott to replace Frost in Orlando. But UCF athletic director Danny White pulled the rug out from under pretty much everyone with this move.
As SB Nation worked to confirm who UCF would hire on Tuesday morning, the caveat from a source was “[w]ho knows with Danny White?”
White has his man, and he’s one few expected.
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