Gus Malzahn UCF contract: How much will Coach make at Central Florida?

Gus Malzahn became Central Florida's coach in 2021 following his eight-year tenure at Auburn. He signed a five-year contract worth $11.5 million with the Knights, marking a reunion with Terry Mohajir, who served as the athletic director during his time at Arkansas State.

The former wide receiver has led the Knights to two consecutive nine-win seasons and a bowl game victory in his first two seasons in charge. This has led the university to reward him with a new and much bigger contract which will keep him with the program until 2027.

Gus Malzahn new contract

According to college football insider Pete Thamel, UCF and coach Gus Malzahn have reached an agreement to extend his contract through the 2027 season. Malzahn accepted the terms earlier in the summer, with his annual salary being increased to $4 million as of July 1.

The contract also stipulates that his compensation will rise to $5.5 million per year for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. The increase in salary and contract extension are integral components of UCF's strategic plan for its transition to the Big 12, which the university has dubbed "Mission XII."

With this new agreement, Gus Malzahn's compensation aligns more closely with the standards of the Big 12 conference. If this adjustment was not introduced, he would have started his tenure at UCF in the Big 12 as the lowest-paid head coach among the Power Five conferences.

Without a doubt, the new deal is well-deserved by Malzahn after his fantastic job since taking over the program. The Knights are also set for a huge financial windfall after leaving the American Athletic Conference for the more financially buoyant Big 12.

Will Malzahn lead UCF to a winning season in 2023?

Gus Malzahn is in his third season with the Knights, continuing a tradition of highly successful coaches at a program that historically belonged to non-power conferences. He has led them to a nine-win season in his first two campaigns.

However, the program has moved to a more challenging Power Five landscape, where it has to compete with top teams in the Big 12. The Knights obviously have a huge task ahead of them if they are to secure a winning season and reach a bowl game in 2023.

With a 3-2 start to the season, it appears they could be on course for something noteworthy. However, they have a couple of tough matchups ahead, which places their success this season in significant doubt.