After transforming the Knights into a top-three passing defense, the veteran coordinator aims to bolster takeaways and secondary depth while cementing his status among the conference’s elite.
Alex Grinch coached UCF to a top-three passing defense in the Big 12 last season, and heading into the 2026 season, he's seen as a top-10 DB coach in the conference.
X user Matrix Analytical (CFBAnalytical) posted its top 10 defensive back coaches in the conference on June 10. Grinch appeared on the list as the eighth-best coach, under Houston's Marcus Trice and Oklahoma State's Julian Wilson.
He became the defensive coordinator and safeties coach last season after one year at Wisconsin. He was the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach for the Badgers, and they finished 14th in fewest passing yards allowed (177.7) in 2024.
UCF finished third in passing yards allowed (185.1), behind Utah (177.8) and Arizona (165.3). The four-man tandem of Jayden Bellamy, Braeden Marshall, Demari Henderson and Phillip Dunnam manned the secondary unit. Dunnam led the team in interceptions (three), and Bellamy led the defensive backs group in passes defended (eight).
The Knights' passing defense helped the program finish fourth in total yards allowed (335.8), 2.2 more yards than BYU. Arizona finished second (308.5), and Texas Tech allowed the fewest yards in the conference (258.3).
However, the secondary struggled throughout the season with turnovers. Grinch often told the media about the importance of turnovers and how they shift the momentum of games.
"That's something that wins and loses football games," Grinch told reporters on April 2. "Unfortunately, we found out that the latter of the two, which is, you know, we lost more games last year than we won because we didn't get enough takeaways."
Another issue Grinch highlighted about the defense was not having enough players ready to play meaningful snaps. Twenty-two players take the field, and some Knights played too many snaps.
"It's not a bad thing if you're playing 40 snaps as opposed to 80 snaps," Grinch said. "You'll get your best football, and we'll get the best version of you. So that was a major thing coming off of last year."
Grinch is heading into fall camp with a senior-laden defensive back group. Bellamy, Marshall and Henderson lead the group, plus veteran additions from the transfer portal.
Jailen Duffie, Ty Bartrum, Caleb Flagg and Kahmel Johnson provide vital depth for UCF's secondary. Grinch could coach the secondary to become a top passing defense in the Big 12 again next season.
The future also looks promising for the Knights. They landed three defensive backs: Jonathan Barnes, Tyler Walker Jr. and Kash Kolbow.
Grinch has found a home in Orlando, and he could rise higher as a defensive back coach in the Big 12, should UCF's passing defense continue to finish in the top five.
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