New faces join UCF's coaching ranks. Frost details how AJ Blazek, Will Johnson, and Cooper Bassett will elevate the Knights' performance on the field.
Coach Scott Frost did not expect much turnover on his coaching staff heading into the early signing day, but he quickly pivoted when changes opened up more positions to fill.
Frost lost two coaches: offensive line coach Shawn Clark, who passed away due to a medical emergency at the age of 50 on Sept. 21, and defensive backs coach Brandon Harris, who has assumed his responsibilities at Florida under new coach Jon Sumrall.
The Knights' leader searched for new coaches, finding two before the transfer portal opened and another a week after. UCF hired AJ Blazek as the offensive line coach, Will Johnson as the defensive backs coach and Cooper Bassett as the tight ends coach.
Frost shared his thoughts about each coach on Thursday when addressing the media about the 2026 transfer portal cycle.
"You know, I'll start with O-line," Frost said. "Tough circumstances for why we had to make a hire there, but I had a lot of time to think about that and wanted someone with the background that AJ has. He's an easy guy to be around and to interview because he brings so much positive energy all the time. He comes from a background of running the football and teaching technique up front that I believe in and want to make sure that we're employing at UCF."
Blazek helped the Wisconsin Badgers become one of the least penalized teams in the Big Ten, an area UCF immensely struggled in last season, leading the Big 12 in penalties with 91 before bowl games.
After Blazek, Frost spoke about Will Johnson and his potential as a young, upcoming coach, just like Harris was.
[We] lost Brandon Harris in the off-season to another opportunity, and [We're] really excited to get Will," Frost said. "I don't think UCF should ever be afraid to find coaches that are kind of up-and-comers, and I've heard that from a lot of people about Will, and I can see why, since he's been here. He's going to do a great job for us in the defensive secondary."
Johnson spent two years with the North Dakota Bison, elevating their pass defense into one of the best in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. He also won an FCS championship with them in his first year.
The former Bison helped recruit a player from his former school: defensive back Jailen Duffie, who was All-MVC second team last season.
Frost spoke about Bassett last, who was an addition to the coaching staff to alleviate offensive coordinator Steve Cooper's extra responsibilities as the tight ends coach. He also joked about having too many people in the program, nicknamed "Coop."
"We have too many Coops now," Frost said. "We have a center named Coop [Terpstra] and an OC named [Steve] Coop and a tight end coach named Coop. So, I got to figure out how to differentiate all those. But Steve Cooper, being the offensive coordinator and coaching tight ends, just felt like it would help us a ton if he was able to spend a little more time walking around and just doing coordinator things. You know, Coop, we are lucky to get from Oklahoma State. He's done it. He's coached O-line. He's coached tight ends, I think he's going to be a huge addition for us. And all three of those guys have fit in well with the rest of our staff right away. So, they have some learning to do. We have some work to do to get familiar with everything, but [I'm] really excited about those three guys.
UCF heads into 2026 spring camp with a revamped roster and coaching staff. The team has newfound stability and aims to improve after finishing last season with a record of 5-7, which made them ineligible for a bowl game.