Gus Malzahn Shoots Down USC Rumors

UCF head football coach Gus Malzahn has taken his name out of the running for USC's head coaching vacancy.

Speaking to Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi on his show, "Open Mike," the former Auburn head coach denied any rumors of leaving UCF and making a trip to Southern California.

“I’m not interested in the USC job, I’m blessed to be at UCF,” Malzahn said. “We got big things ahead in the future.”

Malzahn, 55, coached at Auburn for eight seasons before his firing in 2020. He was hired to be UCF's head coach after Josh Heupel left to take the Tennessee job. Malzahn has stated many times that he is committed to UCF and believes the program is the "future of college football."

Such slogans have been marketed in roadside billboards and merchandise all over the state of Florida. Malzahn is 2-0 in his short tenure at UCF with wins over Boise State and Bethune Cookman.

The USC job, meanwhile, continues to be a hot topic of discussion with a laundry list of potential suitors. James Franklin, P.J. Fleck and Luke Fickell are among the many names linked to the opening.