Malzahn Wants UCF To Be Alabama, Not The Alabama Of The AAC

Gus Malzahn, the new head coach of the University of Central Florida, wants to turn UCF's football program into Alabama. And he means Bama of college football, not just the AAC. Lofty goals, but that's probably a good thing. Set the bar high and don't settle for being a big fish in a small pond.

"From the outside looking in -- I really felt this way for a long time -- if the right guy could ever get here and stay here and build it, you'd have a chance to be one of the best programs, if not the best program, in college football," Malzahn said just before UCF's "Charge On Tour".

The University of Central Florida officially put their hopes in Gus Malzahn to be "right guy" February 15 when they reached a five-year, roughly $11.5 million deal with him.

And as far as expectations go, UCF needs to win, obviously. UCF finished fourth in the AAC in 2020, and just 5-3 in conference. Cincinnati and Tulsa managed a completely unblemished 6-0 record in conference, and if you want to be Alabama -- you got to take care of conference play.

Can't win conference titles without solid QB play

Junior quarterback Dillon Gabriel is expected to run the show at UCF in 2021. If Malzahn has any plans to take over his conference and then the entire football landscape, then grooming a quarterback is a start.

"Everything is aligning," Malzahn said.

Well, when the No. 4 rated quarterback is returning to college football and there's a job offering, you take it. Expectations, at least in house, are sky high for the Central Florida Knights. We'll see if Gus Malzahn can deliver.