Men's Hoops Adds Carlos Dotson as Assistant CoachMen's Hoops Adds Carlos Dotson as Assistant Coach

Men's Hoops Adds Carlos Dotson as Assistant Coach

by Ken Landis

ORLANDO – The UCF men’s basketball team has added Carlos Dotson to the staff as an assistant coach with a focus in player development, as announced by head coach Johnny Dawkins on Monday.

“We’re excited to add Carlos to our staff. He’s young, hungry and will bring a lot of energy to our team. He is great at scouting and has a great knowledge of the defensive side of the ball. He has a lot of experience working with NBA players and we’re looking forward to him helping our athletes grow and giving them the tools to take their game to the next level.”

Johnny DawkinsUCF Men's Basketball Head Coach

Dotson has created a quick ascent for himself in his young professional career. The Riverdale, Md. comes to UCF after being on staff with the Los Angeles Clippers as a player development coach, in which he was responsible for helping players elevate their game, scout opponents and assist head coach Tyronn Lue and staff in game planning.

“Carlos is a talented young coach and a natural teacher who made a big impact on our team this season. Players respond to his energy and improve under his guidance. Carlos has a bright future. UCF is getting a good one.”

Tyronn LueLos Angeles Clippers Head Coach

Prior to his season with the Clippers, Dotson was a video intern with the Charlotte Hornets for the 2022-23 campaign. He was a graduate assistant at Clemson for the team’s 2021-22 season.

"I'm very excited to join this staff and to get to work for Coach Dawkins. I think this will be a great opportunity to come in and learn from the staff and to continue to build something great here at UCF. I'm ready to get to work."

Carlos DotsonUCF Men's Basketball Assistant Coach/Player Development

Dotson’s playing career includes time in professional basketball overseas with stops in France, Uruguay and Portugal. His international career began in June 2019 before he arrived back in the United States at Clemson to be a graduate assistant in May 2021.

“Carlos brought great energy and consistency around the building everyday. UCF will have a great coach and an even better person. Looking forward to great things from him.”

Russell Westbrook9-time NBA All-Star

“I appreciate the culture Carlos brought and the commitment he had to making the team better. I’ll be locked into UCF with him there.”

Paul George9-time NBA All-Star

Dotson played at three different stops during his collegiate basketball career. He began at Anderson, a Division II school, where he posted 10.9 points per game in his first full season. He then attended College of Central Florida in Ocala where he posted 13.3 points per contest as well as 7.8 rebounds per game. His career continued to flourish as he joined Western Carolina for his final two years of eligibility, earning a pair of All-SoCon selections, earning third team honors as a junior and first team honors as a senior. He averaged 15.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, including 17.5 points and 10.9 rebounds per game in league play. He finished the year shooting 61.0% from the field and was a two-time SoCon Player of the Week and February SoCon Player of the Month recipient. He was a Lou Henson All-America Team member and claimed a spot on the NABC All-District 21 First Team in 2019-20. He graduated with a bachelor of arts in sociology in May 2021.

Dotson moved to Spartanburg, S.C. to attend Dorman High School, where he played basketball as well as a defensive end for the football team before ultimately turning his focus to basketball.  Dotson averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds per game in his senior season at Dorman and scored 14 points in the North-South All-Star game.