ORLANDO – After spending the 2016 and 2017 seasons at UCF, Mike Dawson is returning to Orlando to coordinate the Knights’ defensive run game and serve as the edge coach, head coach Scott Frost announced Friday. Dawson was a member of Frost’s staff during his stint with the program during UCF’s 2017 National Championship run.
“I’m incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to join Coach Frost’s staff,” said Dawson. “Having previously worked with him at Nebraska and UCF, I’ve seen firsthand the passion, leadership, and commitment he brings to the game, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for Scott.
“I’m looking forward to contributing to the success of this program, working with an outstanding group of coaches, and helping our players grow both on and off the field.”
Dawson rejoins the Knights following a year as a senior defensive analyst for Kansas in 2024 and a season at Ohio State in a similar capacity in 2023. He spent a total of four seasons on Nebraska's coaching staff with Frost as well. Dawson coached Nebraska’s defensive line in 2018, before spending the 2019 season as the outside linebackers coach for the New York Giants. He returned to Lincoln to coach the outside linebackers in 2020 and 2021 and the defensive line/edge rushers in 2022.
His defensive line featured a pair of All-Big Ten performers in his first year at Nebraska and he helped key a Cornhuskers unit that moved up 27 spots in the national scoring defense rankings from the 2017 season. The line helped Nebraska total 25 sacks, 11 more than the Huskers recorded the previous season.
In addition to the pressure created by the defensive line, the unit also helped the Huskers post the ninth-most pass breakups in school history (58). In 2020, Dawson’s outside linebackers helped Nebraska rank among the top of the Big Ten Conference in total defense and lower its opponent rushing yards per attempt. Outside linebacker JoJo Domann led the team with 58 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss en route to earning All-Big Ten honors.
Dawson played a key role in the continued improvement of the Nebraska defense in 2021. Nebraska allowed 22.7 points per game, the fewest points allowed in 11 seasons. The Huskers also allowed their fewest yards per game in five seasons at 366.0 per game.
Individually, Dawson oversaw the continued development of outside linebackers Caleb Tannor and Garrett Nelson. Tannor finished the season with a career-high 5.5 tackles for loss, while Nelson led Nebraska in TFLs (10.5) and sacks (5) ranking among the Big Ten leaders in both categories.
In 2022, Dawson coached Nebraska's defensive line and edge rushers. Nelson again led Nebraska in TFLs (9.0) and sacks (5.5) while former walk-on Colton Feist had a career year in his first season as a starter with 46 tackles and 7.0 tackles for loss. On the season, 34.5 of Nebraska's 60 TFLs came from Dawson's players as did 15 of the Huskers' 21 sacks.
In his previous two seasons at UCF in 2016 and 2017, he helped turn around the Knights’ defense. UCF improved by more than 12 points per game in scoring defense during Dawson’s tenure, and the defense forced 58 turnovers and scored nine defensive touchdowns in his two seasons. UCF ranked third nationally in turnovers forced in Dawson’s two seasons at the school, and his defensive line played a key role in that area by helping the Knights recover 23 fumbles.
A coaching veteran in his 24th season, Dawson has coached at the FCS, FBS and professional levels. He has spent 20 seasons in the collegiate ranks, including 14 at FBS schools. Dawson also boasts four years of coaching experience in the National Football League and has coached both outside linebackers and defensive lineman in college and the NFL.
Dawson was a three-year starter at linebacker and defensive end from at UMass-Amherst. He served as team captain as a senior and earned his degree in sports management in 1997.