 When
the Knights joined Conference USA prior to the 2005-06 campaign,
media members that cover the league predicted that it would take
UCF four to five years to move into the upper echelon of the
conference. After all, head coach Kirk Speraw’s program was
leaving the Atlantic Sun to join one of the top-10 leagues in
the nation. Unlike the A-Sun, C-USA featured storied programs
like Houston, Memphis, Tulsa and UTEP, who have all played in
the Final Four.
Three years later, Speraw and the Knights have proven the
pundits wrong. UCF has finished in the top five of the 12-team
league in each of its campaigns in C-USA. Since joining the
conference, the Knights have won 27 league contests, a mark that
ranks fourth among conference programs during that span. Memphis
has won 46 C-USA games in the last three years, followed by
Houston (30) and UAB (30). All three of those programs were
already members of the conference when the Knights moved to
C-USA.
Speraw, who has spent 15 years as the Knights’ head coach, has
quickly built UCF into one of C-USA’s top programs. The 2006-07
C-USA Coach of the Year, Speraw, has developed a winning
mentality at UCF and the program’s growth was clearly evident a
year ago.
Facing the toughest schedule in school history, the Knights
claimed 16 victories and with nine league wins, finished fourth
in C-USA. With its fourth-place finish in the league standings,
UCF received a first-round bye at the conference championship
for the second-consecutive year.
The Knights have averaged 20 victories over the last six
seasons. Thanks to Speraw, who has guided the school to the NCAA
Tournament four times, UCF is recognized as one of the top
programs in the state of Florida. Since the start of the 2002-03
campaign, the Knights have won 122 contests, a mark that ranks
second among all state schools during that span.
Speraw is one of the few coaches in the nation who have spent at
least 15 seasons with their current school. He is among an
impressive list of mentors who are currently enjoying long
tenures, including Jim Boeheim of Syracuse, Mike Krzyzewski of
Duke, Lute Olson of Arizona and Gary Williams of Maryland.
As UCF’s head coach, Speraw boasts a 247-202 mark. His 247
victories rank second all-time at the school. Overall as a head
coach, he is 329-223.
Immediate C-USA Success
Despite facing schools with long basketball traditions on a
nightly basis, UCF has enjoyed immediate success since entering
C-USA. In three years in the league, the Knights have recorded
fifth, second and fourth-place regular-season finishes.
In 2007-08, UCF opened league play with four-consecutive
victories and went on to finish 9-7 in C-USA games. Despite
injuries to key players and the toughest non-league slate in
program history, the squad posted a 16-15 overall mark.
UCF posted two of the top offensive performances in C-USA
history during the campaign, scoring 110 points in a league win
over East Carolina and 109 points in a conference victory
against UTEP. In league action, the Knights shot 46.1 percent
from the floor, which paced the conference.
Speraw helped Jermaine Taylor develop into one of the nation’s
top scorers as the shooting guard averaged 20.8 points on the
year. Taylor totaled 646 points in 2007-08, which ranked fifth
on the school’s single-season register and were the most scored
by a Knight since the program moved to the Division I ranks in
1984.
Following the regular season, Taylor garnered a spot on the
All-C-USA Second Team, becoming the second UCF player in as many
years to garner all-league honors. He was not the only Knight
who was recognized by the conference as Dave Noel was selected
to the C-USA All-Defensive Team.
The Knights played the toughest non-conference schedule in
school history. UCF faced three BIG EAST programs, and teams
from the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC. UCF met a pair of
nationally-ranked teams at the Old Spice Classic in nearby Lake
Buena Vista, facing No. 18 Kansas State and No. 19 Villanova.
Three other squads that UCF played - Nevada, Ole Miss and Sam
Houston State - were all garnering votes in national polls when
meeting the Knights.
When UCF began the campaign with a win over Nevada, the Wolf
Pack were receiving votes in both national polls. The Knights
posted an impressive win over Penn State to conclude the Old
Spice Classic. The Nittany Lions went on to record victories
over 7th-ranked Michigan State and No. 17 Indiana in Big Ten
play.
In 2006-07, Speraw guided the Knights to one of their finest
campaigns at the Division I level. UCF went 22-9, recorded its
fourth 20-victory season in the last five years and won a
school-record 15 games at home.
UCF's second-place finish in C-USA garnered national attention.
Prior to the start of the year, the Knights were picked to
finish seventh in the 12-team league. The Knights went 11-5
against league foes, earning the No. 2 seed at the C-USA
Championship in March. UCF was one of four teams to receive a
first-round bye.
Following the regular season, Josh Peppers became the first UCF
player to garner All-C-USA honors when he earned a spot on the
all-conference second team. Peppers finished his career seventh
all-time in school history with 1,376 points.
With a victory over NJIT in December, Speraw notched his
300th-career win. When Speraw received the C-USA Coach of the
Year honor, he joined an impressive list of coaches who have
claimed the award, including John Calipari, Tom Crean, Denny
Crum, Bob Huggins and Rick Pitino.
In its first year in C-USA, UCF finished 14-15 overall in
2005-06 and 7-7 in the conference, good for fifth in the
standings. The team closed the season by winning four of its
last six games. The late season success was highlighted by a
convincing victory over East Carolina in the opening round of
the league championship.
A-Sun Dominance
Under Speraw, UCF dominated the competition in the A-Sun. He led
the Knights to a 122-93 record in league contests. UCF was just
as impressive in the conference tournament. The program sits
atop the league record books with a 21-7 tournament mark, seven
finals appearances and four title game victories.
In 2004-05, the Knights posted one of the most impressive
campaigns in UCF history. The team went 24-9 and claimed the
A-Sun regular season crown before winning the conference
championship title. Speraw's squad made its second-consecutive
NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005, meeting defending national
champion Connecticut in the first round in Worcester, Mass.
Several individuals garnered accolades for their play during the
2004-05 campaign. Gary Johnson was named the most valuable
player of the A-Sun Championship and was joined on the
all-tournament team by Peppers. Both Johnson and Peppers were
selected to the all-conference second team at the end of the
regular season.
With a 25-6 record, the 2003-04 squad is considered by many to
be the best team in the UCF annals. The Knights registered a
14-game winning streak, their longest since entering the
Division I ranks. UCF rolled through A-Sun play with a 17-3
mark. With a victory over Troy in the conference championship
title game, UCF claimed the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA
Tournament. The Knights earned a No. 14 seed in the postseason
and faced Pittsburgh in the first round.
A pair of players received all-league honors as Dexter Lyons was
a first team selection and Roberto Morentin was named to the
second team. Lyons also earned the A-Sun Defensive Player of the
Year honor in addition to receiving the A-Sun Championship MVP
award.
Speraw led UCF to its first of three-consecutive trips to the
A-Sun Championship title game in 2002-03. His team completed the
season with a 21-11 record. The highlight of the year came on
Dec. 12 at home when the Knights defeated No. 25 College of
Charleston, 82-64, to record the first win in school history
over a nationally-ranked foe.
Speraw's 2001-02 squad registered a 17-12 overall mark. In
1999-00, he guided an injury-plagued team to 11 victories in its
final 17 contests and a trip to the A-Sun Championship final
game.
UCF recorded a 19-10 record, including a 13-3 showing in the
A-Sun, in 1998-99. The team advanced to the A-Sun Championship
title game.
Individual Development
During Speraw's tenure, 17 of his players have received
all-conference accolades, including four first-team members
(Lyons, Traina, Mark Jones and Ochiel Swaby). Jones was named
the A-Sun Player of the Year in 1997-98, while also winning the
newcomer of the year award that same season.
Five Knight standouts who played under Speraw - Peppers, Taylor,
Traina, D'Quarius Stewart and Paul Reed - are members of UCF's
1,000-point club. Reed and Mario Lovett, who was also coached by
Speraw, are two of the five players in UCF history to grab at
least 600 rebounds.
A pair of Knights that Speraw coached are enshrined in the UCF
Athletics Hall of Fame. Sinua Phillips, who holds the school’s
single-season and career records for assists, was selected for
the hall of fame in 2006. Two years later, Darryl Davis earned
entrance. Davis played under Speraw for two seasons and is one
of three Knights to record 1,500 points and grab 500 rebounds.
Academic Success
Since his arrival in Orlando, Speraw has stressed success in the
classroom as well as strong play on the court. During the
2005-06 campaign, four UCF student-athletes were named to the
C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll with a grade-point average of
3.0 or higher. Since the start of the 1993-94 season, 51 of
Speraw's players have earned all-academic league recognition.
Following the 2003-04 season, Morentin was named to the CoSIDA
Academic All-America District III Team.
Serving as a Mentor
In addition to guiding his players both on and off the court,
Speraw has also served as a mentor for members of his coaching
staff. Former UCF assistant Tom Schuberth was hired as the head
coach at Texas-Pan American in 2006. Another former Speraw
assistant, Chris Mowry, is the head coach at Santa Fe Community
College in Gainesville, Fla.
Early Victories at UCF
 In
his early years as UCF’s head coach, Speraw led the Knights to
several successful seasons. He guided the Knights' 1997-98 team
to a 17-11 mark. The squad concluded the regular season with a
seven-game winning streak.
In 1995-96, Speraw's Knights entered the A-Sun Championship with
a No. 6 seed. UCF reeled off three victories at the tournament,
including an 86-77 win over Mercer in the title game, to claim
the league championship crown. In the NCAA Tournament, the
Knights faced No. 1 Massachusetts in the opening round in
Providence, R.I.
In his first year in Orlando in 1993-94, Speraw inherited a team
that went just 10-17 the previous season. He molded his squad,
which was playing its first season as a member of the A-Sun,
into an impressive unit, finishing the campaign with a 21-9
record, giving UCF its first 20-win season at the Division I
level.
The Knights bowled over the competition at the conference
championship. The team topped Stetson, 70-67, in the title game
to earn its first trip to the NCAA Tournament. In his first
season as a Division I head coach, Speraw guided his squad to
the "Big Dance." Making its first national-television
appearance, UCF faced top-seeded Purdue in the first round of
the tournament.
Success From the Start
Speraw has enjoyed success on every rung of the coaching ladder.
He came to UCF after a three-year stint as an assistant at
Florida under Lon Kruger. Prior to serving on the Gators' staff,
he posted three solid campaigns as the head coach at Pensacola
Junior College, starting in 1987.
During his time at PJC, Speraw led the Pirates to an 82-21
record and three-consecutive Panhandle Conference titles. His
team recorded a 31-7 mark and finished fifth nationally in
1989-90. That season, Speraw was honored as the National
Association of Basketball Coaches/Kodak National Junior College
Coach of the Year, as well as the state's coach of the year.
Before moving to the bench at PJC, he served as an assistant at
Florida Southern under George Scholz from 1982-87. He began his
coaching career at his alma mater, serving as a graduate
assistant with Iowa's 1979-80 team that advanced to the Final
Four. Speraw then moved on to Denver where he was an assistant
coach and recruiting coordinator for two years.
A Family Man
A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Speraw played collegiately at Iowa
for Olson. He was a member of the 1978-79 Hawkeye squad that won
the Big Ten title. As a senior, he was named the team's most
inspirational player.
Speraw is a devoted family man. He and his wife, Tracy, have two
sons, Drew (21) and Dustin (16). The couple also has two
daughters, Brooke (18) and Bailey (9).
|
