Polian emerges as a potential UCF candidate
University of Nevada coach Brian Polian is a possible candidate to become UCF’s next head football coach, two sources told the Orlando Sentinel.
Polian, 40, is a former assistant coach at UCF and the son of former Indianapolis Colts executive Bill Polian.
Brian Polian served as George O’Leary’s running-backs coach in 2004 before accepting an assistant coaching position at Notre Dame, where he worked from 2005-09. During his tenure at Notre Dame, current UCF athletics director Danny White’s father was the AD leading the Irish athletics department.
And while Polian and UCF’s Danny White never directly crossed paths at the University at Buffalo, both have ties to the school. Polian, a New York native, had two assistant coaching stints at the upstate New York school.
Polian is 17-19 in three seasons at Nevada.
White, who was introduced as UCF’s new athletics director last Thursday, is expected to move quickly on the coaching hire. UCF President John Hitt said he would officially start his new role in January, but his start date has since been bumped up to Dec. 14.
The hyper-competitive market for new head coaches may have expedited White’s start date.
Some analysts have projected there will be at least 20 head coaching vacancies in college football at the season ends. UCF is currently one of 13 openings and American Athletic Conference schools Memphis and Houston recently offered significant pay increases to keep their coaches. Tom Herman, a former Ohio State offensive coordinator, is in his first season with the Cougars. His team will play Navy for the West Division title Friday. Justin Fuente revitalized an otherwise lifeless Tigers football program in the past three seasons.
UCF is considered to be a highly sought-after job. St. Louis Rams quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke, a former Florida State quarterback; former Florida coach Will Muschamp; and North Carolina defensive coordinator Gene Chizik are said to have expressed high interest.
The fierce competition coupled with a key recruiting period opening up next week means UCF administrators want to act fast and smart.
White and others at UCF have said the Knights are seeking a head football coach with a strong recruiting background. The NCAA’s next contact period during which coaches are allowed to visit recruits and make phone calls to prospects starts Nov. 30.
The emphasis on recruiting and competition elsewhere are part of the reason assistant coaching names like Geoff Collins (Florida), Randy Shannon (Florida) and Mario Cristobal (Alabama), who all have strong Florida recruiting ties, have been linked to the UCF job.
One source also told the Sentinel one of the key factors the next head coach must possess is a long-term commitment to UCF.
Long-time UCF football coach George O’Leary retired effective immediately Oct. 25 after compiling an 81-68 record leading the Knights and steering the program to seven bowl appearances. He won three postseason games at UCF, including his crowning achievement in 2013 — an upset of No. 5 Baylor to win the Fiesta Bowl.
“In an effort to allow UCF to accelerate its search for my successor and clarify the facts regarding my future plans, I am retiring effective immediately,” O’Leary said in a statement announcing his departure.
Interim coach Danny Barrett took over after O’Leary’s departure, supervising the Knights’ final four regular-season games.