UCF men’s basketball coach Johnny Dawkins has signed a contract extension that will keep him with the school through the 2029-30 season.
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Dawkins, 62, just finished his 10th season with the program. He signed a two-year contract extension in 2024 that runs through the 2026-27 season. However, the final year of that deal is non-guaranteed.
This latest extension is for three years.
“I want to thank (UCF) President Alexander N. Cartwright and Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir for their continued belief in our vision for UCF men’s basketball,” Dawkins said in a statement. “What we accomplished this season was a testament to the hard work of our student-athletes, coaches and staff as we continue establishing ourselves in the Big 12.
“I’m proud of the progress we’ve made and excited about where this program is headed. UCF has become home for my family, and I’m committed to continuing to build a program that our university and fans can be proud of.”
UCF earned a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament this year, the program’s first appearance since the 2018-19 season. The Knights faced No. 7 seed UCLA in Philadelphia in the first round, losing to the Bruins, 75-71.
It was a record-breaking season for the Knights, who won a program-best nine Big 12 games while finishing eighth in the conference standings. The team also secured a record five Quad 1 victories, including wins over Texas A&M, No. 17 Kansas, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 19 BYU and Cincinnati.
It was a remarkable feat considering the team featured 13 newcomers and returned zero production from the previous season.
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“Johnny has led our men’s basketball program with outstanding poise and class,” Mohajir said in the statement. “The stability and continuity he has provided have been, in my opinion, a major reason for the program’s growth. As a result, we’re excited to extend his contract.
“He is a strong leader and an outstanding role model for our young men. Johnny is highly deserving of this extension, and we’re excited about the future of UCF men’s basketball under his leadership.”
Dawkins is 189-132 (a .589 winning percentage) in his 10 seasons at UCF and 345–247 (.583) overall as a coach. He was at Stanford for eight seasons before taking over at UCF.
His annual compensation for this past season was $2.2 million, according to the contract details obtained by the Sentinel. Dawkins received a $50,000 bonus for leading the team to the NCAA Tournament.
Dawkins’ deal ranked 15th among the 16 Big 12 men’s basketball coaches, according to the USA Today coaches database for last season. Kansas coach Bill Self led the way with an $8.8 million compensation package.
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No details were provided for his new extension.
Matt Murschel can be reached at [email protected]