Official Release - April 4, 2026
ORLANDO – UCF Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir has announced the hiring of Gabe Lazo as the next head coach of its women’s basketball program, becoming the 14th head coach in program history.
A Miami native, Lazo brings a dynamic background and a proven track record of success at multiple levels of women’s basketball. Widely regarded as one of the rising coaches in the game, he has built his reputation as an elite recruiter, defensive strategist, and developer of student-athletes.
“Gabe represents what we were looking for in the next leader of our women’s basketball program,” Mohajir said. “He’s a proven competitor at every level of the game, with deep Florida roots, an elite ability to connect with people, and a track record of developing student-athletes on and off the court. He has consistently helped elevated every program he’s been part of as a head coach and assistant.
“His vision for UCF, his love for the state, combined with his energy and ability to connect, make him the right leader at the right time in today’s college landscape. We’re confident he will build a program capable of competing for Big 12 championships while developing young women to succeed long after their playing careers.”
Most recently, Lazo spent the past two seasons at Tennessee, helping guide the Lady Vols to two NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 run during his first season in Knoxville. During his time on Rocky Top, he played a key role in assembling elite talent, including a top-ranked 2025 signing class and the nation’s top transfer portal class, according to ESPN.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to be named the head coach at UCF,” Lazo said. “This is a special place with tremendous potential, and I’m grateful to President Alexander Cartwright, Terry Mohajir, Chris McFarlane, and the leadership at UCF for believing in me. As a Florida native, this opportunity means a great deal to me. I look forward to building meaningful relationships with our student-athletes, competing at a high level in the Big 12, and making Knight Nation proud.”
Lazo enters his 10th season coaching college women’s basketball, having helped lead teams to five postseason appearances (four NCAA Tournament berths and one WBIT), along with a conference championship and a conference tournament title.
Prior to Tennessee, Lazo spent two seasons as associate head coach at Mississippi State, where he served as the program’s defensive coordinator and helped lead the Bulldogs to an NCAA Tournament Second Round appearance in 2022-23 and a WBIT Elite Eight run in 2023-24. Known for his relentless recruiting approach and ability to develop talent, he played a critical role in assembling top-ranked recruiting and transfer classes during his time in Starkville.
Across his four seasons at the Power 4 level with Mississippi State and Tennessee, Lazo’s recruiting instincts aided in the signings of 11 ESPN SportsCenter Next 100 athletes. He was the primary recruiter in Knoxville for the nation’s top-ranked high school class of 2025, which boasted three five-star and two four-star prospects, along with an impressive portal class which topped the ESPN rankings.
Before his time in the SEC, Lazo coached at George Washington (2021-22), helping the program post the second-ranked defense in the Atlantic 10 and reach the conference tournament quarterfinals. He also spent two seasons at Stony Brook (2019-21), where he helped guide the Seawolves to an America East regular-season championship, a conference tournament title, and an NCAA Tournament appearance, while assisting in the development of multiple all-conference players.
Lazo began his collegiate coaching career at FIU (2017-19) following a successful run at the high school level as head coach at Miami’s John A. Ferguson Senior High School, where he earned Miami-Dade County Coach of the Year honors three times and led his teams to back-to-back regional championships and state runner-up finishes.
He has also gained national recognition within the profession, including being selected to attend the prestigious 2024 TopConnect Basketball Symposium and being named the 2025 World Exposure Report Assistant Coach of the Year.
Lazo earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Barry University in 2008 after beginning his collegiate playing career at FIU and finishing at Barry. He also spent two seasons playing professionally in Puerto Rico.
During his high school days, Lazo was a four-year letterwinner and an honor roll student at Miami Senior High. He led MSHS to the state Final Four as a junior and the Elite Eight as a senior and was part of squads that won three district titles and two city championships during his prep career.
LAZO'S COACHING TIMELINE
| YEARS | SCHOOL | ROLE | SEASONS |
| 2012-17 | John A. Ferguson Senior HS | Girls Varsity Head Coach | Five |
| 2017-19 | FIU | Assistant Coach | Two |
| 2019-21 | Stony Brook | Assistant Coach | Two |
| 2021-22 | George Washington | Assistant Coach | One |
| 2022-24 | Mississippi State | Associate Head Coach | Two |
| 2024-26 | Tennessee | Assistant Coach | Two |
| 2026-Pres. | UCF | Head Coach | First |
QUICK HITS
- Five Postseason Appearances (Four NCAA Tournaments, 1 WBIT) and Two Conference Titles
- Landed the No. 1 Ranked 2025 High School Class, along with the No. 1 ranked transfer class
- Over four years in the SEC, signed a combined 11 SportsCenter Next 100 athletes, including four five-stars and seven four-stars
- Secured a pair of top-10 high school classes (2025 and 2026) at Tennessee and the 16th-rated 2023 class at Mississippi State