WINNING EXPERIENCE At UCF, George O’Leary has assembled an impressive coaching staff that features a unique blend of youthful vigor and unparalleled experience. Members of the UCF staff possess all of the elements to help the Knights shine on and off the field: college playing experience, bowl game appearances, knowledge of the ins and outs of the game and most importantly, a passion for UCF football. • In addi�on to leading the Knights to the 2007 Conference USA Championship, head coach George O’Leary has guided the program to its first two bowl games and has twice been named the C-USA Coach of the Year. • Offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe is in his first campaign at UCF. Taaffe boasts over 30 years of coaching experience, including �me in the Canadian Football League as a head coach for Hamilton and Montreal. • Dave Huxtable is in his second campaign as UCF’s defensive coordinator. A year ago he helped the Knights develop into one of Conference USA’s best defensive units. • Wide receivers coach David Kelly is in his fourth year with the Knights. The program’s assistant head coach, Kelly’s previous coaching experience includes a s�nt at Stanford as the Cardinal’s associate head coach and offensive coordinator and �me as Duke’s associate head coach and wide receivers coach. • Geoff Collins is in his second year at UCF, serving as the Knights’ linebackers coach and recrui�ng coordinator. He spent the 2007 campaign at Alabama, where he worked as the Crimson Tide’s director of player personnel.
DAVE HUXTABLE
GEORGE O’LEARY
WINNING COMBINATION Members of UCF’s staff have coached in bowl games a combined 45 �mes. • Brent Key was an All-ACC offensive lineman at Georgia Tech under O’Leary. In his fi�h year overall at UCF, Key is in his first campaign direc�ng the Knights’ offensive linemen. • A member of the UCF Athle�cs Hall of Fame, Sean Beckton is in the first year of his third s�nt at his alma mater. The program’s defensive backs coach, Beckton was a star�ng wide receiver for the Knights from 1987-90. • Tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Tim Salem has been on the UCF staff since 2004, helping the Knights to a pair of bowl games. As the program’s running backs coach in 2007, Salem helped Kevin Smith achieve one of the finest campaigns in NCAA history when the consensus All-America pick rushed for 2,567 yards and 29 touchdowns. • Prior to joining the UCF staff as the defensive line coach in 2007, Jim Panagos served as an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings in the Na�onal Football League. A�er concluding a successful playing career at Maryland, he began his coaching career at his alma mater in 1993. • Former standout Georgia Tech quarterback George Godsey, who is in his sixth year with the program, is UCF’s running backs coach. Godsey played under O’Leary while with the Yellow Jackets and concluded his career as one of the best quarterbacks in Atlan�c Coast Conference history.
CHARLIE TAAFFE