Followed Josh Heupel. Gus Malzahn held UCF at National Program I for 4 seasons.
It is very critical that we were in very pressure situations
His real stature score, season by season, across every program he’s coached — so a stretch that stays in one tier the whole way can still climb or sink on the line, not just flatten out. Node color marks the tier reached. Which program a stretch belongs to is carried by the shaded lane behind it.
Reached Power Program in his 2nd career season — faster than 51% of the 395 FBS coaches who have ever reached Power Program (rank #170 of 395 by seasons-to-arrival).
Where each stint’s offense sat between run-first and pass-first, and how far it moved from one season to the next. The band is that stint’s real season-to-season range, not a fixed-width box.
Season-to-season pass-rate range for all 258 FBS coaching stints with at least three covered seasons, 2014–2025.
How he does in the games that matter most — rivalry record, performance broken out by real opponent tier, one-score games, and his toughest historical matchup.
7–10 against his rivals. Just 1–4 against Kirby Smart.
A statistical estimate of this coach’s contribution to team performance, separated from that season’s roster talent, returning production, and his coordinators — pooled across his whole head-coaching career.
Model fit as of 2026-09-04.
Fan claims · every quote verified verbatim
The offensive play calling was perfectly fine. We are devoid of talent post-Malzahn. He ran off everyone.
Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Aug 28, 2025 · via CFB
Scott frost gonna make this offense look 18x better with less talent just because of how bad Gus Malzahn fucking is ahahahaha
Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Aug 28, 2025 · via CFB
2nd-best UCF tenure of 7 by the numbers.
Performs about as expected for his recruiting talent, on both sides of the ball.
Followed Josh Heupel (2018–2020).
| Season | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | |||||
| Record | 9–4 | 9–5 | 6–7 | 4–8 | |
| Postseason | W bowl | L bowl | L bowl | — | |
| Recruiting rank | #55 | #53 | #50 | #35 | |
| Style — pass rate | |||||
| Pass rate | 45.0 | 42.3 | 40.9 | 37.5 | |
| Coordinators | |||||
| OC | GJ Kinne / Tim Harris Jr. | Chip Lindsey | Darin Hinshaw | Tim Harris Jr. / Darin Hinshaw | |
| DC | David Gibbs / Travis Williams | David Gibbs / Travis Williams | David Gibbs / Addison Williams | Ted Roof / Addison Williams | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | |||||
| Offense | 49 | 71 | 88 | 54 | |
| Defense | 58 | 27 | 75 | 71 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script (2021+ only) | |||||
| 1st-down pass% | 39.4 | 35.8 | 40.4 | 32.7 | |
| Red-zone pass% | 44.7 | 32.7 | 38.7 | 22.5 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | 35.3 | 48.8 | 41.2 | 44.1 | |
A typical amount of portal roster-building.
Brings in bigger-than-position-typical players than most.
Recruits older, more experienced transfers than most.
10 NFL Draft picks: Richie Grant (2021), Aaron Robinson (2021), Jacob Harris (2021), Tay Gowan (2021), Tre Nixon (2021), Kalia Davis (2022), Javon Baker (2024), Tylan Grable (2024) + 2 more
3rd-best Auburn tenure of 16 by the numbers.
Performs about as expected for his recruiting talent, on both sides of the ball.
Followed Gene Chizik (2009–2012) · succeeded by Bryan Harsin (2021–2022).
| Season | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | |||||||||
| Record | 12–2 | 8–5 | 7–6 | 8–5 | 10–4 | 8–5 | 9–4 | 0–1 | |
| Postseason | — | L bowl | W CFP | L bowl | L bowl | W bowl | L bowl | L bowl | |
| Recruiting rank | — | #6 | #8 | #9 | #9 | #12 | #11 | #7 | |
| Style — pass rate | |||||||||
| Pass rate | — | 35.4 | 34.3 | 30.9 | 37.3 | 42.7 | 41.9 | 48.0 | |
| Coordinators | |||||||||
| OC | — | Dameyune Craig / Rhett Lashlee | Dameyune Craig / Rhett Lashlee | Rhett Lashlee / Kodi Burns | Chip Lindsey / Kodi Burns | Chip Lindsey / Kodi Burns | Kenny Dillingham | Chad Morris | |
| DC | — | Ellis Johnson | Will Muschamp | Kevin Steele | Kevin Steele | Kevin Steele | Kevin Steele | Kevin Steele | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | |||||||||
| Offense | — | 92 | 58 | 61 | 67 | 71 | 61 | 63 | |
| Defense | — | 32 | 79 | 75 | 93 | 83 | 93 | 26 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script (2021+ only) | |||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | — | 22.8 | 25.5 | 24.9 | 30.9 | 43.5 | 39.5 | 41.9 | |
| Red-zone pass% | — | 27.1 | 21.4 | 22.1 | 25.2 | 36.4 | 35.2 | 40.8 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | — | 12.5 | 19.5 | 31.0 | 15.0 | 30.2 | 19.5 | 21.4 | |
37 NFL Draft picks: Corey Lemonier (2013), Greg Robinson (2014), Dee Ford (2014), Tre Mason (2014), Jay Prosch (2014), Sammie Coates (2015), Angelo Blackson (2015), Gabe Wright (2015) + 29 more
6th-best Arkansas State tenure of 12 by the numbers.
Followed Hugh Freeze (2011–2011) · succeeded by Bryan Harsin (2013–2013).
2 NFL Draft picks: Demario Davis (2012), Don Jones (2013)