Dawkins Stays at UCF After NCAA Tournament Berth

0:00On March 24, University of Central Florida men's basketball coach, Johnny Dawkins, is sticking around after landing a new contract. His knights finally punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament this season. Their third year in the tough, big 12 conference. Reports from CBS Sports say the deal is done, though details like length and pay remain under wraps. Dawkins took over a UCF back in 2016, after nine successful seasons at Stanford. The team made a deep run to the round of 32 that first tournament year in 2019, but then missed the big dance five years straight, putting plenty of pressure on him. This season changed everything. UCF wrapped up 21 wins and 12 losses overall, going nine and nine in conference play to tie for seven place. They grabbed a number ten seed but fell to UCLA 75 to 71 in the opening round. At 8.62, Dawkins had a lot riding on this pivotal campaign and the tournament birth was just enough to secure his future in Orlando.

1:03Fans and boosters alike breed the sigh of relief after years on the hot seat. With Dawkins locked in, UCF can now build on this momentum heading into next season, keeping the Knights competitive in the loaded big 12.