UCF and coach Gus Malzahn have officially extended their contract through the 2027 season, as announced by the school on Thursday. Effective from July 1, the extension will see the third-year coach receive an average salary of $4 million per season for the next two years, escalating to an average of $5.5 million in the final two seasons of the agreement.
“I’m blessed to be the football coach at UCF. Kristi and I love being in Orlando,” Malzahn said. “I look forward to continuing to be a part of building a consistent championship program at this special place.”
Malzahn boasts a 21-11 record in his tenure with the Knights, guiding them to consecutive bowl games in his initial two seasons, marking the program’s final years in the AAC. UCF holds a 3-2 record in its debut season in the Big 12. With this raise, Malzahn joins at least five other Big 12 coaches in the $4 million per year bracket. If no other coach receives a raise before 2026, the subsequent increase in the last two seasons would position him as the fifth-highest paid coach among the conference’s public schools.
“We went to Gus after spring football to discuss the bright future we believe we have with him as our head coach. We felt stability and recruiting in college football are more important than ever to build a program in the Big 12,” said UCF athletic director Terry Mohajir. “This agreement with Gus along with our other coaching staffs is reflective of our Mission XII initiative in order to be more competitive at the Big 12 level.”
This summer, Malzahn talked about the current condition of the UCF program in an interview with CBS Sports, preceding its transition to the Big 12.
“This is a championship program. Our goal is to win the championship,” Malzahn said. “It’s going to be tough, but that’s the way we are recruiting. We’ve got some really good players and coaching staff. We just have to bring our lunch every week.”
Malzahn, widely recognized as a pioneer of the hurry-up, no-huddle offense, played a pivotal role in its widespread adoption in college football. Serving as Auburn’s offensive coordinator, he contributed to their 2010 national title win with Cam Newton at quarterback. Returning as the head coach in 2013, he guided the Tigers to the BCS National Championship Game, narrowly losing to Florida State in the final minute. In his eight-year tenure with the Tigers, Malzahn went 68-35, securing the SEC West twice and claiming the conference title in 2013.
Malzahn’s inaugural head coaching role in college football came in 2012 when he led Arkansas State to a 9-3 record, securing the Sun Belt title and a berth in the GoDaddy.com Bowl.