UCF HC Johnny Dawkins Talks Navigating the NIL Era
· Yahoo Sports
UCF has been a prime example of how NIL has changed the game.
In both football and men's hoops, the Knights have seen major overhaul thanks to the transfer portal and ever-changing eligibility rules.
Visit syntagm.co.za for more information.
Last season, UCF men's basketball coach Johnny Dawkins managed to build an all-new team, posting his best season in the Big 12 and leading the Knights to a March Madness berth.
But, with multiple key players graduating or transferring elsewhere, Dawkins has once again assembled a largely-new team.
On Oct. 5, Dawkins joined the Take Da Bait Show, and was asked about navigating the NIL era.
"For me, it's easy because my mission stays the same," Dawkins explained.
He went on to say that the revenue sharing and new aspects of the game have only made him happy for his players, while emphasizing that he is going to continue to "pour into them."
Dawkins has earned a strong reputation throughout his coaching career, especially from his players.
Entering this season, he has the opportunity to cement UCF as a contending Big 12 representative going forward.
Dawkins is also being handed the keys of the program for the foreseeable future, having inked a 3-year extension with the program in late-May.
The extension gradually increases Dawkins' salary each of the next four seasons, earning $2.1 million for the 2025-26 and $2.5 million in 2026-27, followed by $2.6 million in 2027-28 and $2.7 million in 2028-29.
The contract also includes multiple lucrative incentives, including securing an at-large bid to March Madness, advancements to certain rounds, and winning championships.
"Johnny has led our men’s basketball program with outstanding poise and class," UCF director of athletics Terry Mohajir said in a statement following the extension. "The stability and continuity he has provided have been, in my opinion, a major reason for the program’s growth. As a result, we’re excited to extend his contract. He is a strong leader and an outstanding role model for our young men."
In early April, it was announced that Dawkins was named the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year. This honor is awarded to the top head coach in Division I college basketball, making Dawkins the only UCF coach in program history to win.
Dawkins beat out multiple future hall-of-famers for the award, including Michigan State's Tom Izzo and UConn's Dan Hurley.
Angela Lento, Vice President of College Insider, Inc. and member of the Jim Phelan award voting panel, highlighted what went into Dawkins earning the award on the Jim Phelan Award's official website.
“I don’t think enough has been made about the job Johnny Dawkins did this season at UCF,” Lento said. “He assembled a roster that included some good players from mid-major programs and had a terrific season in the best conference in college basketball. If UCF won just a few more games, Johnny Dawkins would have been a finalist for every head coaching award.”
After having no carryover from his prior roster last offseason, Dawkins does have some scoring production staying with the program, with John Bol and Carmelo Pacheco each returning.
Bol is once again projected to be the Knights' starting big man, while Pacheco shot the 3-point shot at a 39.4-percent clip.