A member of the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame, Sean Beckton began his third stint on the Knights coaching staff in April of 2009. Beckton served as the program's defensive backs coach from 2009-11 before taking over the wide receivers from 2012-15. He currently serves as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator. Beckton had been on staff a combined 10 seasons prior to returning in 2009.
Beckton oversaw a tight ends group that was part of an offensive explosion in 2017. The Knights' offensive output helped lead to UCF's first-ever undefeated regular season, a victory in the 2017 American Athletic Conference Championship game and a berth in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The Knights scored more than 60 points a school-record four times, while putting up 50 or more a school-record five times. UCF scored a school-record 73 points in a victory over Austin Peay on Oct. 28, 2017.
The following is a look at the Knights' national rankings for 2017:
2017 Offensive Stats (National Ranking)
- Scoring Offense - 49.4 (1st)
- Total Offense - 540.4 (5th)
- 3rd Down Conversions - 45.7% (16th)
- First Downs - 307 (10th)
- Fumbles Lost - 5 (16th)
- Passing Offense - 339.3 (7th)
- Rushing Offense - 201.2 (34th)
- Sacks Allowed - 1.00 (7th)
- Passing Efficiency - 183.66 (2nd)
- Turnovers Lost - 14 (25th)
- Turnover Margin - +12.5 (2nd)
Beckton's tight ends were led by Jordan Akins, who was named first-team all-conference by The American. Akins caught 30 passes for 459 yards and four touchdowns, all career-best marks. His touchdown, receptions and yardage totals all ranked No. 3 on the team in 2017.
In addition to Akins, Jordan Franks and Michael Colubiale combined fro 22 receptions, 341 yards and a touchdown.
In 2016, Beckton coached Akins to to 23 receptions and a then-career-high 347 yards with two touchdowns. Jordan Franks also excelled under Beckton, recording 11 catches for 143 yards in 11 games played as a junior.
Beckton had the task of working with an incredibly young group of receivers for 2015, most of which had never caught a collegiate pass. In the end Tre'Quan Smith finished with 52 receptions and 724 yards, both of which set UCF freshman records. Smith became the first freshman in school history to lead his team in catches and receiving yards, and went on to be named the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year.
Labeled as one of the best wide receiving corps in the nation entering 2014, UCF's wideouts did not disappoint. The combination of Breshad Perriman, Josh Reese, J.J. Worton and Rannell Hall all amassed at least 500 receiving yards, marking the first time in UCF history it had four players with 500 yards or more in a season. They helped the Knights post a 9-4 record, reach the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl and win its second straight league title.
Perriman finished the year with 1,044 receiving yards, becoming the first Knight to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark since 2006. He would be voted on to the all-league first team by the conference's head coaches, and be selected in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.
That incredible group of receivers blended nicely in 2013 and it showed in UCF's results as it went 12-1 highlighted by the American Athletic Conference title and a win over Baylor in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The No. 10-ranked Knights were sparked by an offense that averaged 281.6 receiving yards and 34.6 points per game. The 3,661 total receiving yards were the most since 2002.
Hall (886), Perriman (811) and Worton (721) all collected at least 700 receiving yards, Jeff Godfrey chipped in 406 and Reese not only had 252 but was one of the best blockers on the team. After the season Worton would be named to The American's All-Conference Second Team.
Instructing a young yet talented wide receiver corps in 2012, Beckton helped the Knights combine for 3,158 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns. Worton led the way with 44 catches, and Hall had 631 yards to lift UCF to a 10-4 record, a Conference USA East Division crown and a win in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl.
Voted on to the 2012 C-USA All-Freshman Team, Perriman ranked third among true freshman in UCF history with 26 receptions, 388 yards and three touchdowns.
The defensive backs once again shined in 2011 as UCF consistently ranked in the top-25 in the nation in passing defense. Cornerback Josh Robinson received a spot on the All-C-USA First Team for the second-straight season as he racked up 15 break-ups and two interceptions, and safety Kemal Ishmael led the Knights in tackles for the second year in a row with 81.
Robinson went on to become UCF's 29th NFL Draft pick since 1987 when he was taken in the third round of the 2011 draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
In 2010, Beckton's defensive backs were part of a team that enjoyed the finest season in school history. UCF went 11-3 overall, claimed the Conference USA Championship and defeated Georgia in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. The win over the Bulldogs served as the Knights' first bowl win. UCF entered the national rankings for the first time during the campaign, and concluded the season ranked in the top 25 of both polls.
Two of Beckton's defensive backs, Ishmael and Robinson, were named to the All-C-USA First Team. Ishmael led the Knights with 93 total tackles and added two interceptions, while Robinson recorded 59 stops to go with two picks.
In his first year back at UCF in 2009, Beckton helped gel a secondary which featured four new starters, and the group continued to improve over the course of the season.
Robinson was named a Freshman All-American after recording six interceptions and converted quarterback Michael Greco earned a free agent contract with the New York Giants after just one season as a safety.
From 1996-03, Beckton served as UCF's wide receivers coach. During that time, he mentored some of the best wideouts in program history, including Siaha Burley, Doug Gabriel, Jimmy Fryzel, Brandon Marshall and Mike Sims-Walker. Gabriel, Marshall and Sims-Walker all played in the National Football League after concluding their collegiate careers.
Beckton's success with the Knights included a four-year run where the program had a receiver ranked in the top six in the nation in receptions per game each season. Before re-joining the UCF staff under George O'Leary, Beckton spent time as an assistant for the Orlando Predators in the Arena Football League.
A native of Daytona Beach, Beckton was a star wide receiver for UCF from 1987-90. He concluded his career as the program's career leader in receptions with 196 and receiving yardage with 2,493. Against Texas Southern as a senior, Beckton threw a touchdown pass, ran for a touchdown, caught a touchdown and also scored on a punt return.
After brief stints with the Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League, Beckton returned to UCF in 1992-93, serving as an offensive graduate assistant coach, where he mainly worked with the Knights' tight ends. From 1993-96, Beckton coached and taught history at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach. He helped Mainland to a pair of state championships, and in his role as a basketball coach, also helped mentor current National Basketball Association star Vince Carter.
Beckton, who also played for the Predators from 1993-94, was inducted into the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000. He graduated from UCF in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in liberal studies and a minor in physical education. Along with his many football accomplishments, he has also served as the physical education department chair at Mainland.
Beckton and his wife, Zorana, have a son, Sean, Jr., and a daughter, Zaria.
Coaching Experience
1992-93 - UCF - Offensive Graduate Assistant
1993-96 - Mainland (Fla.) High School - Assistant Coach
1996-03 - UCF - Wide Receivers
2008 - Orlando Predators - Wide Receivers
2009-11 - UCF - Defensive Backs
2012-15 - UCF - Wide Receivers
2016 - UCF - Tight Ends/Recruiting Coordinator
As of December 2017