Gus Malzahn compares tenure at Auburn to time at UCF

On3 imageby:Steve Samra05/16/22

SamraSource

Gus Malzahn made some amazing memories at Auburn, but now his focus is on getting UCF to the top of the college football world. In an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show, the leader of the Knights compared his tenure with the Tigers to the time he’s spent in Orlando thus far.

“It’s two different places, there’s no doubt,” began Malzahn. “Of course I’ve told you before, I loved my time at Auburn. I was so blessed to be the head coach there for eight years. Coordinator there for three years. Won a championship, almost won two. Had some really good times.

“UCF is a young school. It’s up and coming. Orlando’s obviously different than Auburn. You know, Orlando’s a great place to live. Some of the best brands in the world are here. There’s no NFL team, so when you look at the NIL and the future of college football and what it looks like, I think we’re in a super spot.”

After amassing a record of 68-35 with the Tigers, Malzahn went 9-4 in his first season with UCF. Additionally, he was successful against the SEC during his program’s bowl game, as the Knights defeated Florida in the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl, 29-17.

The two schools may be different, but Gus Malzahn is trying to find the same success level he had at Auburn with UCF. If history is any indicator, the football world shouldn’t bet against him.

Gus Malzahn outlines plans for UCF to make move to Big 12 Conference, recruiting impact

Furthermore, Gus Malzahn can’t wait for UCF to join the Big 12. The football coach for the Knights believes the AAC has a lot to offer, and wants to show the college football world its teams can compete on a Power 5 level.

With UCF, CincinnatiHouston set to join the Big 12 — alongside BYU — in 2023, they will finally get their chance. Malzahn joined the Paul Finebaum Show this past week, where he discussed how he believes the new additions will fit in with the rest of the league.

“As of right now, it looks like this will be the last year,” the coach said. “You’re absolutely right that Cincinnati had a great team. You’re talking about Houston, SMU, Memphis — there’s some really good teams in this league. It looks like we’ll be going to the Big 12 in 2023. We’re really looking forward to that. That’s a big step. It’s really helped us in the recruiting world, so we’re looking forward to it.”

Moreover, Malzahn told Finebaum that his team’s impending move to the Big 12 has already started to have a positive impact on recruiting efforts. UCF signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the AAC for 2022, as well as the 47th overall class nationally according to On3’s Team Rankings.

Malzahn said the promise of playing in a Power 5 league has opened doors for players that the Knights previously had little shot at landing.

“There’s no doubt (it means more to recruits),” he said. “The first year, we went after the top players in the country in the state and we’d hear, ‘Hey, coach. Y’all are non-Power 5.’ Whether we liked it or not, that’s real for recruits. Since the announcement has been made that we’re going to the Big 12, it’s really opened the door to the top players in the country. We really recruited very well last year and I think we have a chance to really have a great class this year.”