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UCF has to be ready to show Johnny Dawkins the money

By Brad Berreman

COLUMBIA, SC - MARCH 24: Head coach Johnny Dawkins of the Central Florida Knights looks on in the first half of their game against the Duke Blue Devils during the second round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SC - MARCH 24: Head coach Johnny Dawkins of the Central Florida Knights looks on in the first half of their game against the Duke Blue Devils during the second round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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It’s no surprise Johnny Dawkins is getting interest from a bigger school, but UCF has to be ready to pull out all the stops to keep him.

The Duke Blue Devils entered the NCAA Tournament as favorites, and remain favorites entering the round of 16. But UCF nearly pulled an upset in the second round, with a two shots at a game-winner in the waning seconds. To make matters more interesting, the Knights’ coach was Johnny Dawkins, former Blue Devils’ player and assistant.

Coming off a good season, and as bigger jobs open, it’s safe to say Dawkins will be in demand. According to Stadium’s Jeff Goodman, Dawkins is one of Vanderbilt’s top targets.

After going winless in SEC play this year, and amassing 9-23 overall record, Vanderbilt fired Bryce Drew after his third season as head coach. Being without projected lottery pick Darius Garland for most of the season would have been a reason for Drew to get a mulligan, but it was not to be.

Dawkins has a 67-34 record over three seasons at UCF, but and has also been successful at a high-level academic institution. Over eight seasons at Stanford, he had at least 19 wins in a season five times with two NIT titles (2012 and 2015) and a Sweet 16 appearance the only time the Cardinal reached the NCAA Tournament during his tenure.

According to Jon Alba of Spectrum, as of Monday, Dawkins said he has not been contacted about any other job.

Via the Orlando Sentinel, Dawkins signed a six-year contract with UCF that will pay him $1.1 million per year plus performance bonuses through the 2021-22 season. He later got a one-year contract extension, set to pay him $1.5 million for the 2022-23 season. If he left now his buyout would be $3 million.

According to USA Today’s salary database, Vanderbilt paid Drew a little over $2 million for this season and he was the 55th-highest paid coach in college basketball. Dawkins’ base salary would have put him at No. 69.

One report called Dawkins to Vanderbilt “close to a done deal” on Tuesday. The key word there is “close,” with UCF athletic director Danny White surely ready to do what it takes to keep Dawkins if he gets an opportunity to counter an offer from Vanderbilt.

For Dawkins, there’s surely some appeal to going to the SEC. But the gap between what UCF paid him and what Vanderbilt paid Drew, without accounting for any incentives he reached this year, doesn’t feel insurmountable. With a first-round tournament win Dawkins got to $65,000 in bonuses, but there may be some other undisclosed money.

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If it means essentially tearing up Dawkins’ current contract and redoing it, but that has to be on the table for UCF.