ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – Shortly after being named the 11th head coach in UCF football history, Josh Heupel announced Tuesday morning that Randy Shannon would join the Knights' staff as the team's defensive coordinator.
"Randy is someone who I have always had a great deal of respect for throughout the years," Heupel said. "Seeing what he's been able to do with defenses, in addition to his ability to recruit this state, it's extremely special and will be invaluable to our staff."
With over 25 years of coaching experience, Shannon comes to Orlando following three seasons at Florida that included time as the Gators' defensive coordinator and most recently interim head coach.
Shannon was the head coach at Miami from 2007-10 and was the Hurricanes' defensive coordinator for six seasons from 2001-06. The former linebacker at Miami has won three national championships as a coach and a player.
Shannon's defense in Gainesville ranked fifth in the nation in total defense in 2016, allowing just 293.0 yards per game. His squad was also the second best pass defense in the country, allowing opponents to just 148.5 yards per game.
Prior to his time at Florida, Shannon spent time at Arkansas, TCU, the Miami Dolphins, and most notably Miami. While defensive coordinator for the Hurricanes, his defenses ranked in the top-10 in the nation in five of six seasons.
Shannon won the Frank Broyles Award, which is presented annually to the nation's best assistant coach, in 2001, and had 25 defensive players drafted in the NFL – including 12 first-round picks – during that span.
During his time as a head coach at Miami, Shannon consistently brought in some of the nation's best recruiting classes, including his 2008 signing class that ranked as the top class in the country by ESPN.com.
Shannon got his start in coaching at Miami in 1991 after playing two seasons for the Dallas Cowboys. He was a four-year starting linebacker for the Hurricanes and a member of the 1987 national championship team.
