Sources: UCF’s Malzahn gets extension, raise

Pete Thamel, ESPNOct 5, 2023, 12:51 PM ET

UCF football coach Gus Malzahn has agreed to a contract extension through the 2027 season, sources told ESPN on Thursday.

Malzahn agreed to terms early this summer and the school raised his salary to $4 million per year on July 1, sources told ESPN. The deal rises to $5.5 million annually in 2026 and 2027, sources said, and the deal gives both additional salary and one extra year on the deal to push it through 2027.

With UCF entering the Big 12 this season, the raise and contract extension are in line with the school’s transition plan, which the school calls “Mission XII.”

The contract puts him more in line with Big 12 coaches, as he would have entered this season as the lowest-paid Power 5 coach without the adjustment. Malzahn’s last listed salary was $2.3 million per year, which he made during UCF’s time in the AAC.

Malzahn is in his 12th year as a head coach, including stops at Arkansas State and Auburn, and his third year at UCF. He has gone 21-11 with the Knights and appeared in bowl games in his first two seasons.

UCF rose to No. 17 in the Associated Press rankings last season and is 3-2 this year after back-to-back losses to open Big 12 play.

Malzahn’s impact on UCF has been felt on the recruiting trail, with the Knights ranked No. 24 for the class of 2024 by ESPN. That puts them No. 2 in the reconfigured Big 12, behind only Texas Tech .