The UCF Knights are reportedly closing in on their next head coach to replace Gus Malzahn after the legendary resigned. There’s nothing concrete yet, but a few typically reliable sources have indicated that Liberty Flames head coach Jamey Chadwell is set to head to Orlando to take over for Malzahn at UCF, as college football coaching carousel rumors heat up at the end of the year.
College Football Coaching Carousel Rumors Link Jamey Chadwell to the UCF Knights
Early Tuesday morning, rumors began to swirl that Chadwell was headed to UCF, with one even reporting the move was complete.
While these seemed to be more of the “flight tracking” variety than factual reporting from insiders, they picked up steam, and more legitimate sources quickly began to report that UCF has zeroed in on Chadwell as the primary target.
It’s not as if this would happen out of the blue. Chadwell was one of the primary targets we identified for UCF. But until Tuesday, there had been nothing concrete linking him to the job.
Football Scoop’s John Brice reported that UCF athletic director Terry Mohajir is “focusing heavily on Liberty coach Jamey Chadwell.”
In industry jargon, that means two things:
- Chadwell is the guy unless things fall through.
- It’s not a done deal, and things could fall through.
That said, we can use context clues to know that something is probably amiss. Liberty’s top three offensive players announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal within an hour of one another.
It’s not surprising that Chadwell, one of the hottest names in the 2024-2025 coaching carousel, would be someone teams are interested in pursuing, and he would be a massive get for the Knights, who were sure to have competition for Liberty’s head coach.
What Landing Chadwell Would Mean For UCF
Chadwell has had a meteoric rise through the coaching ranks. He started at Division II North Greenville before steadily moving to the FCS and eventually FBS levels. He won at least 60% of his games at four of five stops, including a 60-26 record at the FBS level.
Chadwell’s spread option offense is one of the most unique schemes in college football, and when he has a talented quarterback, his offenses are consistently among the best in the country.
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Perhaps even more critical in today’s college football climate, he excels at retaining talent. Chadwell kept superstar quarterback Grayson McCall in Conway for four years when he coached the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.
Similarly, Kaidon Salter stayed in Lynchburg when Chadwell took over and hasn’t left in the two years he has been the coach at Liberty.
While it remains unclear if Salter could follow Chadwell (McCall did not) to his next destination, Chadwell will likely find a talented signal-caller, and it’s not hard to imagine the Knights having immediate success in the Big 12.
It would also be a win in perception. Chadwell is likely the top candidate for multiple Power Four jobs. If UCF can lure him to Orlando, where he has no ties, over schools like North Carolina that are closer to home, it’d be a significant win for the athletic department.
As this saga continues to unfold, College Football Network will keep you up to date on all the latest coaching rumors. For an easy way to follow, check out our Coaching Carousel Tracker.
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