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Paul Finebaum’s reaction UCF hiring Gus Malzahn will rile up Vols fans

By Bre'ana Singleton

Dec 5, 2020; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers coach Gus Malzahn waits for his team during a time out with the Texas A&M Aggies during the fourth quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2020; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers coach Gus Malzahn waits for his team during a time out with the Texas A&M Aggies during the fourth quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports /
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Paul Finebaum thinks Gus Malzahn will be a big hit at UCF and that should not sit well with Tennessee football fans.

Gus Malzahn has been named the new head coach at UCF. The former Auburn coach was brought in to replace Josh Heupel, who left UCF last month to take the head coaching job at Tennessee. Since his arrival in Knoxville, Heupel has received some fairly mixed reviews but it looks like his replacement is being met with a little more praise.

ESPN and the SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum thinks the Knights got the better end of the deal in the head coaching switch out.

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum thinks UCF upgraded with Malzahn

At Auburn, Malzahn posted a 68-35 overall record and went 39-27 against SEC competition from 2013-20. He led the Tigers to the 2014 BCS National Championship Game in 2013, his first season, with a 12-2 record despite going 2-5 in Bowl games.

Finebaum believes that Malzahn’s SEC experience is what gives him the edge over a coach like Heupel who will be entering his first year in the conference.

“They are getting a really good football coach,” Finebaum said. “And rarely do you lose a coach to an SEC school and upgrade, but that’s exactly what UCF has done. Gus Malzahn is a better coach than Josh Heupel.”

“Malzahn went to the national championship game in his first year at Auburn. He had a shot in getting back to the playoffs a couple of years ago. He beat Nick Saban three times. Find me someone else walking around in America who can make that claim there.” … “Without having to play Nick Saban every year, without having to deal with Kirby Smart and LSU, Gus Malzahn is going to win and he is going to win big in Orlando.”

In his three seasons with the Knights, Heupel went 28-8, and most notably discussed for leading UCF to its second undefeated season in 2018 before eventually falling to LSU in the Fiesta Bowl. He’s certainly got his work cut out for him with the Vols who finished with an awful 3-7 record after winning the Gator Bowl last season.

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