Auburn to UCF pipeline continues: Former All-SEC LB joins Gus Malzahn's staff
Deshaun Davis, a former Auburn All-SEC linebacker has rejoined his college coaches, and become a member of the UCF staff.
Travis Williams, the UCF defensive coordinator, tweeted the news that Davis has been hired as a graduate assistant coach. This is a shift from his earlier coaching plans, AL.com reported, from December when Davis announced he would return to his alma mater, Vigor High School, to be the Wolves’ defensive coordinator.
Davis was a 3-year starter at middle linebacker, and in his final season, 2018, he was a first team All-SEC selection with 116 tackles, and 266 career tackles, which led the team. That’s fourth among Auburn career tacklers since 2000. He also added 7 sacks and 29 tackles for a loss in his career.
BUM! BUM! Yes sir!!! Blessed to have @_Davis_Boy12 working with the @UCF_Football linebackers as a graduate assistant! 🤞🏾 🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/u4LZfD4psF
— Coach T-Will (@T_WILL4REAL) June 13, 2022
After the Senior Bowl, Davis moved on to the professional ranks. Davis played briefly for 3 NFL teams in 2019, including Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Jacksonville, and in the CFL for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Davis spent the 2021 season coaching freshmen at Thompson High School while recovering from surgery.
He said in December the door is “75 to 80 percent” closed on his playing career at this point.
When the players that Gus coached at AU run out, he is going to have to actually go out and recruit players that do not know him. UCF will become a cluster when that happens.
Davis will be a coach and not a player. UCF will become a cluster because Gus is the coach but this isn’t an example of why.
I know he is a coach. He was supposed to be a high school coach and got a better job. That was not what I said.
Anybody know how much auburn is paying Gus to coach at UCF?
I’m thinking it was $22 million to head for the city limit sign. That was a guarantee, and not to be reduced by another job somewhere else (in this case, the Knights of UCF). If I’m wrong maybe Jimmy Rane will correct me.
I think that it was a bit less, if I recall correctly $22mil was the total for all of the fired coaches. Regardless, you are correct that it was structured as a straight payout, no offset for another salary paid to him during the remaining contract period.
A lot money being spent. But I guess most of the big schools have deep pockets.