Kenny Ingram Joins Gus Malzahn’s UCF Staff as Defensive Assistant

Kenny Ingram, a veteran defensive coach and former member of Gus Malzahn's Auburn football staff, has joined Malzahn's new UCF coaching staff as a defensive assistant.

He previously coached at Arkansas State under Malzahn, helping the Red Wolves win the 2012 Sun Belt Conference title as the team's defensive line coach. Ingram most recently assisted the Arkansas State defensive interior line during the 2020 campaign, after coaching defensive tackles at Arkansas in 2019.

Ingram also served as director of player relations at Auburn under Malzahn in 2017-18 in his second stint with the Tigers and UCF's new head coach. He held that same position in 2013-14 at Auburn.

Ingram's years at Auburn featured postseason bowl appearances every season—including the Bowl Championship Series national title game after the 2013 campaign. In between stops at Auburn, he coached the defensive tackles at Cincinnati in 2015 and 2016 under Tommy Tuberville—with the Bearcats advancing to the Hawai'i Bowl in 2015.

Ingram began his collegiate career at Tennessee State in 2005 as the Tigers' defensive line coach. He quickly moved back to his hometown of Memphis in 2006, taking over the linebackers for the University of Memphis before being named defensive coordinator in 2009. While at Memphis, he helped the Tigers to the 2007 New Orleans Bowl and 2008 St. Petersburg Bowl.

Prior to his collegiate coaching career, Ingram was the head coach at Melrose High School in Memphis from 2002-04. He led the Golden Wildcats to a 37-4 overall record after serving as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. He was a three-time regional coach of the year and the Memphis Commercial Appeal's 2004 Coach of the Year for Metro Memphis. He led the school to one appearance in the state finals and a pair of appearances in the state semifinals.

He was selected to serve as the Liberty Bowl All-Star Game defensive coordinator in 2003 and was a member of the Tennessee East-West Shrine All-Star Game coaching staff that same season. He was an assistant coach for the Tennessee-Kentucky All-Star Game in 2004. Ingram taught and coached at Corry Middle School in Memphis and worked in the Youth Habilitation Center prior to moving to Melrose.

Ingram starred in football at Whitehaven High School in Memphis, then was a four-year letterman at Arkansas State, serving as team co-captain in 1992. At Arkansas State, Ingram played for head coach Steve Caldwell. He received his bachelor's degree in political science in 1999 from Arkansas State.
 
He and his wife, Carla, are parents of five children--Kendrien, Taylor, Kameron and twins Kennedy and Karleigh.

COACHING EXPERIENCE