And the current UCF HC couldn't even win the AAC. How pathetic is THAT! I don't give a crap of what he did decades ago, what did he do in the last 3 years? Oh yeah, give UCF 3 years of pathetic football. But HEY, he hired a guy that last did anything of any importance over a decade ago. Swell! You put up a decade's old success as a reason to hire him now. Super, if you want to play then. Sadly, we play in 2024, the year our HC said "He's really going to try to win this year!" (fortunately, I actually don't believe Malzahn is as dumb as you're bizarre Tiger Beat Love.)
Ted Roof
- Thread starter Yaes
- Start date
McDowell is ssssoooo great that you didn't even tell me what he did after I told you that I have "never heard of him."
Maybe seek to understand before you seek to be understood.
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Good points. Also, you need a lot of pressure from the DL to make the other style work that we had this season. If your DL isn't getting the pressure your LBs are on their heels too much and the DBs have more time that they are required to cover WRs.
The teams we couldn't beat are in the AAC are with us now in Big12 and we beat them this year.
gus was 11-5 in the AAC regular season and 1 of those 5 losses was against Cincy. The other 4 (Navy 2x, SMU and ECU) are still in the AAC. The championship game loss (Tulane) is also still in the AAC.
WE DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU, GO FIND OUT YOURSELF.
GUS DOESN'T EVEN MAKE THE TOP 5 FOR IMPACTFUL HEAD COACHES HERE.
This McDowell character died about the same time I started following UCF closely. You cannot reasonably expect me to know anything about him.
It would be the equivalent of me telling you John Heisman coached at Auburn. (BTW, I have no idea what he did at Auburn or whether he has any significant impact.)
I do know this ...
The best head coach in the world is EMPLOYED.
That eliminates sabahr.
The best head coach in the world is ALIVE.
That eliminates bahr.
Gus is one of 133 living, employed head coaches
FYI, I am not going to research folks who ain't coaching or dead folks.
Lastly, people never respect what they have until its gone.
You were the one who was proclaiming how great Gus was and how transformative he was for the program…..which hasn’t been shown on the field yet…..so we were pointing out previous coaches that really built this program.
If you insist on disregarding 40+ of history solely based on your ignorance, then you are no better than Lobotomy.
Well said and yet is the operative term.
Posters with a stagnant mindset on this site think that because Gus failed in the past, he is doomed to fail every season in the future. They point to Gus's history of getting on cusp of winning championships (2017, 2019, 2022) and claim he will never get over the hump for this or that excuse.
I have a growth mindset with Gus. I have witnessed him mature as a college head coach. He has worked wonders with this roster, and I foresee great things in 2024, "...which hasn’t been shown on the field yet."
*without providing any explanation or elaboration.*
George O'Leary led UCF into the FBS. Gus Malzahn is leading the program into the P5. I revere both.
I never heard of this McDowell character until he had mentioned on this thread. Obviously, UCF was playing in a lower division during his time.
Similarly, I don't understand y'all's reverence for coaches like Scott Frost, who posted one career winning season, or Huepel, who buried the program deeper with every passing season. Both left UCF upon call of the first suitor!
It has taken Gus TWO full prep recruiting seasons (Feb. 21 half, 2022 whole, Dec 23 half) and five transfer portal hauls (Winter '21, Spring '21, Winter '22, Spring '22, Winter '23) to retool this UCF roster to sustain competitive P4 play.
Well said and yet is the operative term.
Posters with a stagnant mindset on this site think that because Gus failed in the past, he is doomed to fail every season in the future. They point to Gus's history of getting on cusp of winning championships (2017, 2019, 2022) and claim he will never get it done for this or that excuse.
I have a growth mindset with Gus. I have witnessed him mature as a college head coach. He has worked wonders with this roster, and I foresee great things in 2024, "...which hasn’t been shown on the field yet."
*without providing any explanation or elaboration.*
George O'Leary led UCF into the FBS. Gus Malzahn is leading the program into the P5/P4. I revere both.
I never heard of or noticed this McDowell character until he had mentioned on this thread. Obviously, UCF was playing in a lower division during his time.
Similarly, I don't understand y'all's reverence for coaches like Scott Frost, who posted one career winning season, or Huepel, who buried the program deeper with every passing season. Both left UCF upon call of the first suitor!
It has taken Gus TWO full prep recruiting seasons (Feb. 21 half, 2022 whole, Dec 23 half) and five transfer portal hauls (Winter '21, Spring '21, Winter '22, Spring '22, Winter '23) to retool this UCF roster to sustain competitive P5/P4 play.
And there's still a lot of work to do.
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I'm agreeing with Al1. Gus is a great coach. It's difficult to win 100 percent of the time as there are other great coaches and teams on the other side of the field as well. There has been some game time coaching mistakes, but every coach has those. Basically, what I see is that Gus recognizes we need better talent and is out getting it. Having a well named brand in a coach like Gus Malzhan is paying dividends on the recruiting trail...in my humble opinion.
McDowell is basically UCF's Bobby Bowden. A godfather of UCF football. He was a great coach as well. He lost and won just like Gus has and just like every other great coach. He built the UCF football team and made it relevant. I talked to Gene personally many times as I played Ultimate for UCF's team (85-89) and the football team practiced on fields we played on. We would have to wait until they finished so we could have the turf. I'd see him and talk to him. He was approachable and likeable. He was also the Athletic Director at the time.
Coach K followed and was offensive guy with the bubble screen...I think we hated that back then...but, he made it work at times.
O'leary, we all know Georgie-poo, so don't have to elaborate on him...
Scott Frost, he won with his style of offense that he brought into Orlando. Plus, 2017 we had a ton of talent and heart. For him to come back and coach in the Peach bowl after already being hired away to Nebraska makes him an epic UCF legend. That game was great. We beat a superior talented team in Auburn with grit and play calling.
Heupel, 2018 continued that with similar offense and went undefeated in the regular season but 2019 went on a decline. Heupel's offense seemed to go even faster than Scott Frost's. I'm convinced he checked out for the boca bowl against BYU, prior to going to the vols. Heupel is obviously a great coach as well. Bringing Tennessee back in relevance with resources they can pay for talent to make up for his lack of recruiting prowess.
I'm glad Gus Malzhan is our coach in this era. I've been following the team since 1985 and we still in an upward trajectory. I'm looking forward to what the future brings rather than dreading and predicting failure by Gus Malzhan unlike the neggie-nancies we have trolling this forum.
Your mileage may vary, charge on and Go Knights!
McDowell is basically UCF's Bobby Bowden. A godfather of UCF football. He was a great coach as well. He lost and won just like Gus has and just like every other great coach. He built the UCF football team and made it relevant. I talked to Gene personally many times as I played Ultimate for UCF's team (85-89) and the football team practiced on fields we played on. We would have to wait until they finished so we could have the turf. I'd see him and talk to him. He was approachable and likeable. He was also the Athletic Director at the time.
Coach K followed and was offensive guy with the bubble screen...I think we hated that back then...but, he made it work at times.
O'leary, we all know Georgie-poo, so don't have to elaborate on him...
Scott Frost, he won with his style of offense that he brought into Orlando. Plus, 2017 we had a ton of talent and heart. For him to come back and coach in the Peach bowl after already being hired away to Nebraska makes him an epic UCF legend. That game was great. We beat a superior talented team in Auburn with grit and play calling.
Heupel, 2018 continued that with similar offense and went undefeated in the regular season but 2019 went on a decline. Heupel's offense seemed to go even faster than Scott Frost's. I'm convinced he checked out for the boca bowl against BYU, prior to going to the vols. Heupel is obviously a great coach as well. Bringing Tennessee back in relevance with resources they can pay for talent to make up for his lack of recruiting prowess.
I'm glad Gus Malzhan is our coach in this era. I've been following the team since 1985 and we still in an upward trajectory. I'm looking forward to what the future brings rather than dreading and predicting failure by Gus Malzhan unlike the neggie-nancies we have trolling this forum.
Your mileage may vary, charge on and Go Knights!
Thank you!
I did not know any history of UCF before it became D-1A. Where I live, it is hard to any coverage of UCF whatsoever. I have to download apps, such as SportsFire or ESPN3, to be able watch UCF football. Or I have to rely on YouTube live game streams or watch the game when it is uploaded after the fact.
I simply could not have followed UCF football back when McDowell was coaching because I didn't know Central Florida existed.
Ditto, we UCF fans didn't get any coverage back in McDowell's era also. That is why ye olde tymers don't like the local rag. They never covered us properly. That was pre-internet. I had to listen to away games on the AM radio. hardly any Tv coverage. I'm not that old I think but sounds like I was in the leather helmet football fan days. 
👍👍👍
I root for Malzahns success as that means Ucf has succeeded. I do not root for Malzahns success for the purpose of him getting personal gratification as that Auburn fan does.
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I am not mad at you. From the moment Gus started coaching college football, he became one of the most polarizing figures in the sport.
Per a published report from his first season as head coach at Auburn...
"As a high school coach, Malzahn’s resume was among the best in Arkansas history. He guided three schools to seven state championship games in 14 seasons, winning a combined three titles and beginning the trend of uptempo spread offenses that dominate the state today.
"Despite all that success, a segment of fans in the state associate him with the turmoil that engulfed the Razorbacks during the 2006 season, stemming largely from rumors of problems between Malzahn’s offensive philosophy and that of former Arkansas coach Houston Nutt.
...
A longtime Malzahn friend says critics have gotten the wrong impression.
“Ninety-five percent of their information is not all accurate,” said Springdale (Ark.) Har-Ber coach Chris Wood, Malzahn’s offensive coordinator at Shiloh Christian and Springdale High.
“Unless you know the details, it’s hard to throw stones. But you can’t hold it against them. They feel strongly about their convictions, and that’s a person’s right to do that. I know Gus, and I know his integrity, his passion and understanding. He’s a godly man.”
Malzahn returns to home state to lead Auburn against Arkansas
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn insists it’s not about him.
www.gadsdentimes.com
Ahhh, I remember it well those leather helmet days. Yes sir, that was football!
How or from what did you draw that conclusion?
I did not follow UCF football or know this site existed until near the conclusion of Gus's first season in Orlando. I even stated that I "didn't watch" any of Mikey Keene's games in 2021.
So I am particularly curious where you make the leap that I want Gus to receive some kind of "personal gratification" from me believing that he is the "rightful coach at Auburn" as I have stated before on this site or me believing that Gus is going to "be successful' (which is also specifically what Kobi Hudson said at his introductory press conference after following Gus to UCF himself).
EDIT: I will testify to this: The Gus Malzahn I saw at the end of 2023/beginning of 2024 has been a better overall head coach/program leader/face of a franchise/roster manager/recruiter than the Gus I saw play for a national championship at the end of 2013/beginning of 2014. If the Gus of 2024 had been at Auburn in 2014, then the Gus of 2024 would not be at UCF today.
He is not perfect. His offense still experiences intermittent lulls in the second half. ... He still calls head scratching plays from time to time. ... He still uses substitutions that break offensive momentum ... He still mismanages tight games on occasion. ... But despite all his faults, he is a good football coach, who is teetering on becoming great.
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I never heard of UCF until 1993 when some friends were going there after high school. I went 95-98. I watched our Auburn game on campus but there wasn’t sound. After I graduated n 98 it was hard to follow team. I looked at box scores in newspaper. The West Palm newspaper didn’t talk about UCF at all. I think around 2001 the internet was getting better and I could at least look the team up. 08 with Facebook it was better and I think ESPN 3 started showing our games.
Those were the times. One keg party at knights krossing in 99 and i knew where i was going to college
I like Gus. I think he would make an outstanding CEO type of head coach. He kills it in recruiting. Always keeps a bridge out there to kids who went somewhere else, but he knows they could be successful at UCF. I just wish he would let the OC call the game, and if Gus sees something, say something. Don't like the gadget plays he calls inside the 25, but I give him credit for having the balls to do it. Having a big physical QB, I don't expect to see much of that going forward. I believe, in KJ that Gus has found as close to his ideal QB that he is going to get. He can run through an arm tackle at the goal line. Let Gus glad hand the boosters, let the OC call the plays. We should be good on that side of the ball.
I'm honestly only concerned about one thing going forward. This seems like a twilight zone episode. Can we play defense?. Under GOL, we always played good, sound fundamental football on that side of the ball. When I was coming up, if you held the other team to less than 20, you had a good chance to win. In this day an era, I think the number is 30. Can we get stops? I'm hoping John Walker takes a big step forward. I'm hoping some of these stud DE's we have recruited can take a step forward (honestly, I don't know who is still on the team, seems like we got a stud out of Apopka but I haven't heard his name like I have heard John Walker). But if we are solid up front, maybe a few LB's develop, we should be good on that side of the ball. DB's in Florida aren't hard to find. I don't know why we aren't better. We need somebody calling the D, running the D, who knows how to take away the run and dares you to throw the ball against our secondary. Screw the attacking defense. Just get stops and turn it over to the offense. Its great to get a negative play on 2nd and 8, but that is deflating when on the next play, 3rd and 12, you give up a 15 yard pass, or run (FS!MF! Fu**ing Sh** Mother******)
We really haven't played stout defense since GOL. 2017 we had the opportunistic bend don't break thing going but other than that its been regularly getting gashed for big yardage. Probably not a coincidence its been like that since we went to a spread offense, that mentality seems to carry over to defense. Really need a pro-style system and a hard nose coach to attract the type of guys needed for fundamental defense.
I lived in Kbights Crossing in ‘96. I think it was opened in ‘95 or so. Parking sucked if you got home after like 6 pm. They towed cars if you had friends over and they didn’t park outside of gate in that roundabout.
Those were the good ol days. Youd pull up to your balcony with keg in a pickup and then it was on
