Orlando journalist addresses whether Knights head football coach Gus Malzahn will be fired by UCF after embarrassing loss to Utah

The Orlando Sentinel’s Mike Bianchi sees Knights caput shot manager Gus Malzahn getting different twelvemonth astatine the helm of UCF barring a alteration of bosom from the medication oregon the 59-year-old calling it a vocation connected his ain terms. UCF ended 4-8 successful 2024 aft a November 29 nonaccomplishment to Utah, 28-14, arsenic a multi-score favourite astatine the spread.

Bianchi sees adjacent play arsenic a prove-it-or-beat-it run for Malzahn astatine Central Florida, though.

“Unless determination is simply a abrupt alteration of bosom from Malzahn himself oregon UCF’s administration, I’m assuming the manager volition get 1 much play to hole a breached programme that is moving successful the incorrect direction,” Bianchi wrote. “UCF mislaid 8 of its past 9 games this play and has a 5-13 league grounds successful 2 seasons since joining the Big 12, The Gus Bus is evidently stuck successful reverse, and the question is tin Malzahn get it into cogwheel and determination it guardant successful 2025?

“Athletic Director Terry Mohajir has publically supported him, but specified endorsements often travel with a speedy expiration date. If UCF doesn’t amusement important betterment adjacent year, Mohajir volition person nary prime but to marque a change. The fiscal stakes – successful the signifier of booster donations, NIL contributions and summons income – are excessively precocious to support losing.”

Malzahn whitethorn person been fired prematurely from Auburn, but astatine this point, it’s wide helium has not been capable to enlistee good capable to support UCF applicable successful the Power 4. The Knights’ 2 seasons successful the Big 12 were a overmuch tougher modulation than BYU's and person been connected par with Cincinnati and Houston’s arsenic underwhelming astatine champion and failures astatine worst.

2024 was a definitive nonaccomplishment successful Orlando. Malzhan has ne'er had a grounds arsenic atrocious arsenic UCF’s 4-8 decorativeness and the Knights haven’t been arsenic futile since 2015; erstwhile UCF went 0-12 during their 3rd twelvemonth successful the American.