Veteran coach Ted Roof joined the UCF Football staff as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in January 2024.
“I’m looking forward to working with Ted again after winning a national championship together at Auburn,” said Malzahn. “He’s a three-time Broyles Award nominee and has had the No. 1 ranked rush defense in the conference at three different schools.”
Roof spent the last two seasons at Oklahoma as defensive coordinator. In 2023, the Sooners ranked third nationally in takeaways per game (2.0), seventh in tackles for loss per game (7.54) and 14th in third down defense. He has 30-plus years of Power 5 coaching experience.
Coaching Notes and Accomplishments
• A 38-year collegiate coach, Roof first became a defensive coordinator in 1995-96 at Massachusetts. He has led defenses at Georgia Tech, Duke, Minnesota, Auburn, UCF, Penn State, North Carolina State, Appalachian State and Vanderbilt during his career. He also served as head coach at Duke from 2004-07. In all, he has mentored 106 student-athletes who went on to the professional ranks.
• Has been part of teams that combined for 17 bowl appearances, including a Bowl Championship Series national title run as Auburn’s defensive coordinator following the 2010 season.
• Coordinated a 2022 Oklahoma defense that tied for fourth nationally with its 104 tackles for loss (8.0 per game) and seventh with its 17 interceptions. Linebacker pupil Danny Stutsman led the Big 12 and ranked 14th in the country with his 125 total tackles. Fellow linebacker David Ugwoegbu ranked fourth in the conference with 109 tackles (tied for 36th nationally).
• Spent 2021 on Clemson’s staff as a defensive analyst.
• Prior to his season at Clemson, he was the defensive coordinator at Vanderbilt in 2020 and at Appalachian State in 2019. He helped the Mountaineers to a 13-1 record and No. 19 final AP ranking and guided a unit that led the nation in defensive touchdowns.
• In 2019, Roof’s defense helped pave the way for Appalachian State’s sixth conference championship and fifth bowl victory in the past decade. The defense also played key roles in road victories against South Carolina and North Carolina.
• The Mountaineers ranked among the nation’s best in 2019 in scoring defense (21st; 20 ppg) and total defense (25th; 336.1 ypg). The unit also ranked ninth nationally in third-down defense (30.7%), 16th in interceptions (14) and 19th in sacks (36).
• Served as associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator at NC State in 2018 under head coach Dave Doeren, helping the Wolfpack to a 9-4 record and Gator Bowl appearance.
• NC State ranked 29th nationally in rushing defense (131.5 ypg), 45th in scoring defense (24.9 ppg), 17th in third-down defense (33.3%), 19th in red-zone defense (76.7%) and 25th in quarterback sacks (35).
• His head coaching tenure came at Duke, where he served as defensive coordinator during the 2002 and ’03 seasons. He was promoted to interim head coach during the 2003 season and held the position for four more years.
• After his time in Durham, Roof served as defensive coordinator at Minnesota (2008), Auburn (2009-11) and Penn State (2012) before returning to his alma mater — Georgia Tech — for five seasons (2013-17).
• As Auburn’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, he helped guide the Tigers to at least seven wins in each of his three seasons, which included a 14-0 campaign and BCS National Championship in 2010. In the national title game, Auburn held Oregon to 19 points, which was 30 points below the Ducks’ season average.
• During his most recent stint at Georgia Tech (2013-17), Roof helped the Yellow Jackets to an ACC Coastal Division title and a 2014 Orange Bowl victory over Mississippi State. The 2013 defense ranked in the top 30 nationally in points and yards allowed, and his 2015 group boasted the country’s most-improved third-down defense while ranking sixth nationally in first downs allowed.
• From 2008-20, Roof’s defenses limited opponents to 110 or fewer rushing yards 57 times and posted a 48-9 record in such games.
• Coached linebackers for the Yellow Jackets in 1998 before being promoted to defensive coordinator, a position he held from 1999-01.
• Prior to moving to Atlanta, he was defensive coordinator at Western Carolina (1997) and Massachusetts (1995-96). He coached the defensive line at UMass (1994) and linebackers at Duke (1990-93) and West Georgia (1989).
• Began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Alabama from 1987-88.
As a Player
• The Lawrenceville, Ga., native was a four-year letterwinner (1982-85) and three-year starter at Georgia Tech as a linebacker. He earned freshman All-America honors in 1982 and was a team captain and first-team All-ACC selection as a senior in 1985 when the Yellow Jackets went 9-2-1 and beat Michigan State in the All-American Bowl. He remains among the top 10 in Georgia Tech career tackles with his 417 stops and was inducted into the school’s athletics hall of fame in 1998.
• Had a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.