Troy Walters joined the Knights staff in December of 2015, taking over as offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach.
Walters helped oversee an offense that exploded 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)
Walters helped lead an offense that produced All-America honors, American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year accolades and an eighth-place finish in Heisman Trophy voting for quarterback McKenzie Milton.
Walters was directly responsible for the wide receivers. Second-team all-conference wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith re-wrote numerous UCF records during his junior season with the Black and Gold. Smith caught 13 touchdown passes, tying him for second place on the UCF single-season chart. His 22 career receiving touchdowns are No. 3 on the UCF career chart. He now has 11 100-yard receiving games, tying for No. 2 on the UCF career chart. His 2,659 career yards ranks No. 3 all-time at UCF. (All of Smith's statistics/rankings are prior to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl)
Walters led a young group of wide receivers that did not include one senior (two juniors, one sophomore, one red-shirt freshman and four true freshmen) who caught multiple passes. As a unit, the wide receivers accounted for 29 of UCF's 36 receiving touchdowns in 2017.
Walters' 2016 offense helped lead a turnaround in his first season as the Knights ranked 12th in the nation in Red Zone Offense, converting on 91.4 percent of their opportunities. UCF also took care of the ball, ranking 37th in the nation with only nine interceptions thrown on the season.
As wide receivers coach, Walters helped the development of Smith, who led UCF in 2016 with 57 catches, 853 yards receiving and five touchdown receptions as a sophomore.
Walters came to UCF following three seasons as Colorado's wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.
In 2015, Walters mentored Nelson Spruce in ranking 12th in the nation in receptions per game after the regular season. Spruce completed his year with 84 catches for 942 yards, as the team had six different receivers collect at least 20 receptions.
Spruce earned All-Pac-12 Second Team honors in 2014 with a school-record 106 catches for 1,198 yards, and also notched the single-season touchdown reception record with 12.
In Walters' first year, he helped guide Paul Richardson into becoming a 2013 All-Pac-12 First Team honoree due to setting a then-school record 83 catches, as well as ranking No. 1 with the Buffaloes with 1,343 yards. Richardson was the first wide receiver at Colorado to earn first-team all-conference accolades since 1997.
In just one year at NC State in 2012, Walters made a statement by leading receivers Tobais Palmer, Quintin Payton and Bryan Underwood to combine for 149 catches for 2,199 yards and 18 touchdowns. All three posted at least 44 catches and 620 yards.
Walters worked two campaigns as Texas A&M's receivers coach. In 2010, Ryan Swope and Jeff Fuller both set the school record for single-season receptions with 72, and Fuller set the program mark for yards with 1,066. Swope then broke those records with 89 catches and 1,207 yards.
Walters got his start in the coaching field as the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and receivers coach in 2009.
During his career, Walters has coached in the 2011 Cotton Bowl, 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl and the 2012 Music City Bowl.
As a player, Walters attended Stanford where he earned a bachelor's degree in communications in 1999 and a master's degree in sociology (organizational behavior) in 2000. He received Academic All-America honors while being named to the All-Pac-10 Academic Team twice.
From 1996-99, Walters set Stanford records with 244 receptions, 3,986 yards and 19 100-yard games. He also ranked first in single-season marks with 86 catches in 1997 and 1,456 yards in 1999, while posting the single-game record with 278 yards against UCLA in 1999. His 26 career touchdowns stand as the second-most in school history.
He went on to be selected in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by Minnesota, where he played with the Vikings from 2000-01. Walters then suited up for Indianapolis (2002-05), Arizona (2006) and Detroit (2007). He played in 98 games, pulling in 98 catches for 1,135 yards and nine touchdowns. Walters also recorded 117 kickoff returns for 2,594 yards and 139 punt returns for 1,241 yards. He reached the NFL playoffs in all four seasons he was with the Colts.
Walters was a consensus All-American, Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and the Biletnikoff Award winner for being the nation's best wide receiver in 1999. Stanford won its first Pac-10 title since 1971 that year and earned a spot in the Rose Bowl that season.
Walters was born in Bloomington, Ind., and his father, Trent, was a coach with the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals as well as Indiana, Louisville, Washington and Notre Dame. He is married to the former Josephine Jackson, and they have two children, Tate and Faith.
Coaching Experience
2009 -- Indiana State -- Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks/Receivers
2010-11 -- Texas A&M -- Receivers
2012 -- NC State -- Receivers
2013-15 -- Colorado -- Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator
2016-present -- UCF -- Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
As of December 2017