UCF Football: 3 candidates Knights should target at head coach

For the second time in the past three years, UCF football is going to have to find a new head coach as Josh Heupel has agreed to take the same position with Tennessee.

It’s a bummer for UCF football and it’s fans as Heupel won an American Conference championship back in 2018 and posted a 28-8 record in three seasons at the helm.

Former Miami head coach Randy Shannon, who has been the defensive coordinator for the Knights, is serving as interim head coach, but I don’t see him getting the job.

He does have Power-5 experience but he was fired and his defense wasn’t exactly great last season. He could stay on as defensive coordinator maybe, but even that sort of handicaps the new head coach.

Right now, the Knights don’t have a head football coach or an athletic director, as UCF AD Danny White also went to Tennessee. So in terms of timeline, the AD will come first and then the head coach.

Certainly, that decision will impact this one, but whoever takes the AD job, here are three candidates who make a ton of sense for UCF football.

Jeff Lebby, Mississippi OC

Lebby is a name that makes a lot of sense since he previously was the offensive coordinator at UCF before taking the job at Ole Miss.

However, there are already rumors about him coming back at according to 247 sports (subscription required), there is already support for him to be the next head coach.

Lebby doesn’t have any head-coaching experience and that’s one thing that could work against him, but UCF has become known for its explosive offenses and Lebby is one guy who could easily keep that going.

Last season, Lebby coordinated the Ole Miss offense which averaged 562 yards per game, an SEC record and also scored 40.7 points per game. He was rewarded with a two-year deal but that might not be enough to keep him in Oxford.