One of the longest-tenured members of the UCF coaching staff, Dave Huxtable is in his third season as the program's defensive coordinator and seventh overall. After spending four years as UCF's linebackers coach and special teams coordinator, Huxtable moved into his new role in 2008 and immediately guided the Knights to success.
In 2008, the squad ranked first in Conference USA in three categories - rushing defense, pass efficiency defense and tackles for loss. UCF recorded 8.62 tackles for loss per game, which ranked third in the country. The Knights were second in the league in total defense, holding foes to just 333.75 yards a contest.
Several UCF defensive players received individual honors from C-USA, including defensive backs Joe Burnett and Sha'reff Rashad, who were all-league first team selections.
That run continued in 2009 when UCF led C-USA in total, scoring and rushing defense along with sacks and tackles for loss. UCF joined TCU (2002-03) as the only teams to lead C-USA in rushing defense two years in a row. Many Knights were recognized for being a part of this, including the school's first C-USA Defensive Player of the Year in Bruce Miller, Freshman All-American Josh Robinson who tied for the national freshman league with six interceptions, and defensive tackle Torell Troup, a high second round National Football League Draft pick by the Buffalo Bills.
During Huxtable's time at UCF, the Knights have participated in three bowl games, including the 2007 AutoZone Liberty Bowl. That season the team claimed the C-USA Championship title.
Under Huxtable's tutelage, several linebackers shined for the Knights during the 2007 campaign. Chance Henderson was third on the team with 74 total tackles, followed by Cory Hogue (72). A pair of rookies - Derrick Hallman (45 tackles, three sacks) and Darius Nall (22 tackles, one sack) - were named to the All-C-USA Freshman Team.
Huxtable and George O'Leary worked together at Georgia Tech during the 1990s. While serving as the Yellow Jackets' linebackers coach from 1992-97, Huxtable also spent time as the program's defensive coordinator (1996-97) and special teams coordinator (1992-94). Under O'Leary, he was part of the staff that coached Georgia Tech to a 35-30 win over West Virginia in the 1997 Carquest Bowl.
From 2001-03, Huxtable worked at North Carolina. He coached the linebackers for three seasons and also served as the team's defensive coordinator for the final two years of his stint in Chapel Hill. In 2001, he also was North Carolina's special teams coordinator.
Huxtable helped guide a unit that finished first in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 15th in the nation in 2001 in total defense. In addition, he molded a group of inexperienced linebackers into one of the top units in the ACC. Under Huxtable's instruction, former walk-on David Thornton earned All-ACC honors in 2001 after leading the Tar Heels with 131 tackles. That same season, fellow linebacker Quincy Monk was second on the team with 125 stops. Thornton (fourth round) and Monk (seventh round) were both selected in the NFL Draft.
Prior to North Carolina, Huxtable spent a year as the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Oklahoma State. Before coaching the Cowboys, he spent two years on the East Carolina staff. Huxtable worked with the Pirate linebackers in 1998 and defensive line in 1999.
He also worked at East Carolina in the early 1990s, coaching linebackers and special teams from 1990-91. Huxtable was on the staff when the Pirates defeated NC State in the 1991 Peach Bowl.
Prior to his time at Georgia Tech, he coached at Western Kentucky from 1985-89 and was the Hilltoppers' defensive coordinator in 1989. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Iowa State in 1982 and then served as the defensive coordinator at Independence Community College in Kansas.
During his career, Huxtable has coached a pair of players who were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft: Robert Jones at East Carolina (Dallas, 1991) and Keith Brooking at Georgia Tech (Atlanta, 1997).
A 1979 graduate of Eastern Illinois with a bachelor's degree in education, Huxtable and his wife Vicki have a daughter, Shea, and a son, Jake. Shea played tennis at Georgia Southern and Jake played the 2009 and 2010 seasons on the UCF baseball squad.
Coaching Experience
• UCF, 2004-Present
Defensive Coordinator (2008-), Linebackers/Special Teams (2004-07)
• North Carolina, 2001-03
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers (2002-03), Linebackers/Special Teams (2001)
• Oklahoma State, 2000
Linebackers/Special Teams
• East Carolina, 1998-99
Defensive Line (1999), Linebackers (1998)
• Georgia Tech, 1992-97
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers (1996-97), Linebackers/Special Teams (1992-94)
• East Carolina, 1990-91
Linebackers/Special Teams
• Western Kentucky, 1985-89
Defensive Line/Linebackers
• Independence CC, 1984
Defensive Coordinator
• Iowa State, 1982-83
Graduate Assistant