Josh Heupel’s first two seasons as head football coach at UCF have featured not only 22 combined victories and the eighth best combined winning percentage for 2018 and 2019 (22-4, 84.6%), but also a flurry of glossy statistics and national rankings, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
Heupel made an immediate impact during his first year at UCF in 2018, leading the Knights to their second consecutive undefeated regular season and American Athletic Conference Championship. Heupel became just the third coach in history to lead a team to an undefeated regular season in his first year coaching. (Chris Petersen at Boise State in 2003 and Larry Coker at Miami in 2001 also accomplished that feat.)
The Knights followed that success in Heupel’s second campaign in Orlando with a 10-3 mark in 2019, earning UCF a program-record fourth consecutive bowl invitation and winning the 2019 Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl. Heupel’s 22 combined victories in 2018-19 are more than the figure produced by any of the 20 other new coaches who took over major-college programs beginning in 2018.
Preaching a 1-0 mentality every week, Heupel’s fast-paced 2018 offense posted 43.2 points per game that ranked sixth in the nation with an average margin of victory of 20.5 points. His Knights in 2019 averaged 43.4 points, good for a number-five NCAA ranking—and won their games by an average of 20.4 points. UCF in 2019 had the fewest turnovers (15) of any team in the AAC.
The 2018 offense churned out an average of 522.7 yards per game to finish the season ranked fifth in the nation—and the 2019 version proved even better than that in averaging 536.6 yards, best in UCF history and ranking fourth nationally. The Knights’ ground game set a program single-season record with 3,448 yards on the ground in 2018—as UCF averaged 265.2 yards rushing per game, eighth in the country. Running back Greg McCrae in 2018 became UCF’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2013 with 1,182 yards on the ground, fourth most in program history. Then in 2019 a diversified Knights’ run game saw the top four runners combine for 2,488 yards, 27 TDs and an amazing average of 6.46 yards per carry. Those figures allowed UCF to average more than 200 yards per game on the ground over two straight years for the first time.
The passing attack in 2018 was one of the best in country behind quarterbacks McKenzie Milton and Darriel Mack Jr. UCF averaged 257.5 yards per game and 29 TDs that year, including 14.94 yards per completion, ninth-best mark in the country. The quarterbacks posted the 21st-best passing efficiency mark of 149.71, while throwing just seven interceptions, fewest by a UCF team in program history. The offensive line kept the backfield clean with just 19 sacks allowed. In 2019 the Knights transitioned to true freshman signal-caller Dillon Gabriel who produced a 29-to-seven TD pass-to-interception ratio, threw for 3,653 yards (13th nationally), averaged 15.48 yards per completion (fourth in the nation) and rated 13th in efficiency at 156.9.
Not to be outdone, the UCF defense had a stellar 2018 campaign. UCF allowed just 22.7 points per game and ranked sixth in the nation with 28 forced turnovers on the year. The Knights racked up 8.2 tackles for loss per game, fifth most in the nation, and had 29 sacks. Richie Grant led the way with six interceptions, third most in the nation, while Nate Evans had a pair of fumble recoveries, including a 94-yard TD recovery and return against East Carolina. Second-half adjustments were key to the Knights’ success, as opponents scored just 8.5 points per second half, including 3.3 points per third quarter. UCF’s 2019 defense led the nation in tackles for loss at 9.0 per game while permitting only 23.0 points. The Knights ranked fifth in the country in third-down defense (.293 conversion rate) and third in pass efficiency defense.
Heupel’s two seasons at UCF both have produced perfect homefield records—and the Knights head into the 2020 season with 21 consecutive home victories (tying Clemson for the longest streak in the country in that category).
The Knights in 2018 put a league record 17 student-athletes on All-American Athletic Conference teams—then added a dozen in 2019. Milton in 2018 became the first player in conference history to repeat as the Offensive Player of the Year. Offensive lineman Jake Brown and safety Richie Grant earned first-team honors in both seasons. Additional first-team selections for UCF were wide receiver Gabriel Davis (2019), center Jordan Johnson (2018), offensive lineman Cole Schneider (2018), linebacker Nate Evans (2018) and cornerback Nevelle Clarke (2018). Milton finished sixth in 2018 Heisman Trophy voting.
UCF went 11-0 in the 2018 regular season, earning the American Athletic Conference East Division crown and a spot in the league title game. The Knights came back from a 17-point deficit to defeat Memphis 56-41 in the AAC Championship Game. The Knights earned a berth to the 2019 Fiesta Bowl, where they ultimately fell to LSU 40-32, snapping the team’s 25-game win streak. Including three victories to open the 2019 campaign, the Knights extended their regular-season win streak to 28 games (including two AAC Championship Games).
Heupel was named the First Year Coach of the Year by the Football Writers Association of America and was a finalist for the AP National Coach of the Year Award, the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award and the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. He led UCF to as high as seventh in both the Associated Press top 25 and Amway poll of coaches, the highest regular-season rankings in program history. The Knights finished the year ranked 11th in the AP and 12th in the coaches’ poll.
The Knights had 43 players selected to the 2018-19 AAC All-Academic Team. UCF also won a 2019 NCAA Academic Progress Rate Public Recognition Award as its four-year 984 APR figure for football ranked it among the top 10 percent of schools in that sport.
Heupel is the 11th head coach in the history of UCF football. UCF vice president and director of athletics Danny White announced the hire on Dec. 5, 2017. Heupel received an initial five-year contract and then signed a one-year extension in December 2018 to keep him as the Knights’ head coach through the 2023 season.
Tiger Turnaround
Heupel came to UCF after serving as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Missouri for two seasons in 2016 and 2017.
In 2015, prior to Heupel’s arrival, Missouri ranked 124th in the nation in total offense (280.9). In 2016, the Tigers led the Southeastern Conference and were ranked No. 13 in the nation, averaging 500.5 yards per game. In 2017, Mizzou ranked eighth in the nation in total offense, averaging 502.2 yards per game. The Tigers were also 14th in the nation in scoring at 37.5 points per game.
Missouri quarterback Drew Lock blossomed under Heupel’s tutelage. Lock led the SEC in passing as a sophomore, throwing for 3,399 yards and 23 TDs. He followed that with an even stronger junior campaign in 2017, passing for 3,964 yards and an SEC-record 44 TD tosses.
Heupel served as assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks coach at Utah State in 2015. Despite the loss of its starting quarterback to injury, Heupel’s unit improved from 81st nationally to 60th in scoring offense.
Sooner Success
Heupel started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Oklahoma, his alma mater. He was on a coaching staff that took part in back-to-back national championship games following the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Heupel helped mentor Jason White to the Heisman Trophy in 2003.
He spent the 2005 season at Arizona before heading back to Oklahoma as a full-time assistant.
He returned to his alma mater for the 2006 season and coached the quarterbacks for five seasons. Heupel coached Sam Bradford to the Heisman Trophy, Davey O’Brien and Sammy Baugh Awards in 2008. Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency that season and the Sooners tallied an NCAA record five straight 60-point games.
Heupel was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2011 and served in that role for four seasons. His 2011 offense ranked fourth in the nation in total offense and passing offense. The 2012 unit ranked fifth in the nation in passing and 12th in total offense. In 2013, OU led the Big 12 in rushing and total offense. In his final season with OU, the Sooners led the nation in fewest sacks and led the Big 12 and ranked 10th in the nation in rushing, as well as finishing 20th in the nation in scoring and 23rd in total offense.
National Championship Playing Career
Heupel was a national championship-winning quarterback at Oklahoma. He was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2000 while leading the Sooners to a victory over Florida State in the 2001 Orange Bowl, sealing the national title for the Sooners. In 2001, Heupel was the Associated Press Player of the Year, Walter Camp Award winner, Archie Grifin Award winner and a consensus All-America performer.
During his two seasons as the starting quarterback at Oklahoma, Heupel posted a 20-5 record. He passed for 7,456 yards and 53 TDs. Overall, he still ranks among OU’s top three quarterbacks in passing yards, completions and TD passes, despite playing just two seasons. He was a junior college All-America performer at Snow College in Utah in 1999, throwing for 2,308 yards and 28 TDs. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.
Prominent Pupils
--Dillon Gabriel (UCF): UCF freshman passing yards record-setter with 3,653 (2019)
--McKenzie Milton (UCF): 2018 AAC Offensive Player of the Year
--Drew Lock (Missouri): SEC single-season TD pass record-setter with 44 (2017)
--Landry Jones (Oklahoma): 2010 Sammy Baugh Award winner; finished No. 3 in NCAA career passing yards and No. 5 in career TD passes
--Sam Bradford (Oklahoma): 2008 Heisman Trophy winner; No. 1 overall pick in 2010 NFL Draft
--Jason White (Oklahoma): 2003 Heisman Trophy winner
Personal File
An Aberdeen, South Dakota, native, Heupel earned his bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Oklahoma in 2001. He and his wife Dawn have two children--daughter Hannah and son Jace.
