Feb. 21, 2011
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By Leigh Torbin
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Adding a long-time CFL head coach with a history of collegiate success to the Knights' staff, UCF head football coach George O'Leary announced the hiring of Danny Barrett as the Knights' new running backs coach on Monday.
Barrett will take over a very deep pool of ball-carriers at UCF, one which features four different players who have a 100-yard rushing game during their time in Orlando. Amongst that quartet is Latavius Murray who was named the MVP of both the Conference USA Championship Game and AutoZone Liberty Bowl this past fall and Brynn Harvey, an All-Conference USA pick in 2009.
"I am happy to hire a coach of Danny Barrett's experience and knowledge," O'Leary said. "I look forward to having him on staff here at UCF."
A former head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Barrett will be one of three members of the UCF staff who has been a head coach on the professional or collegiate level joining O'Leary and offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe who led The Citadel along with the Montreal Alouettes and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Barrett spent the 2010 season at Bethune-Cookman University where he helped the Wildcats to a 10-2 record a share of the MEAC championship and a NCAA Division I playoff as the team's quarterbacks coach. B-CU was second in the nation for the FCS in scoring offense at 38.17 points per game and 12th in total offense 425.58 yards per game in 2010. Barrett came to Daytona Beach after three years as an assistant coach under Turner Gill at Buffalo, a run that reached a historical peak in 2008 when the Bulls won their first MAC championship and played in the International Bowl, UB's first-ever bowl appearance.
Following an honorable mention All-America playing career at Cincinnati, the Boynton Beach native and Lake Worth High School graduate headed north to Canada where he had remained until returning to the U.S at Buffalo. Barrett amassed 23,419 career passing yards in a 15-year CFL playing career with Calgary, Toronto, B.C. and Ottawa. Twice Barrett led his team to the Grey Cup finals coming with the 1987 Toronto Argonauts and 1991 Calgary Stampeders.
After serving as the quarterbacks coach for Calgary, where he mentored future NFL Pro Bowl pick Jeff Garcia, and B.C., Barrett took over the reigns of Saskatchewan from 2000-06. As the Roughriders' head coach and assistant general manager, Barrett's Sask. teams advanced to the playoffs for five consecutive seasons from 2002-06, reaching the West Division final three times.
UCF Football season ticket packages can be purchased or renewed online at UCFAthletics.com or by calling the UCF Athletics Ticket Office at (407) 823-1000. Home games include Charleston Southern [Champions UKNIGHT (Sept. 3)], Boston College [Hall of Fame Weekend (Sept. 10)], Marshall (Oct. 8), Memphis [Alumni UKNIGHT - Homecoming 2011 (Oct. 29)], Tulsa (Nov. 5) and UTEP [Senior Day (Nov. 26)]. Should UCF host the C-USA Championship Game for the fourth time in seven years, it would be played on Saturday, Dec. 3 and season ticket holders will receive the first shot at the best seats.