The year of Terry, a first crack at Georgia and truly a Shocker 🏀!
UCF named Terry Mohajir as Director of Athletes one year ago today. We look back on his accomplishments, plus softball starting up with a major opening match up.
We all know how sweet the Space Game uniforms were this year. Now we need to make sure the world - or better yet, the universe - knows. The threads are up for the Uniswag Uniform of the Year. You can vote here.
Today’s read is 3 minutes ⏲️
Trending in the Kingdom: Terry’s year in review 🎊
On this day in 2021, UCF officially hired Terry Mohajir to replace Danny White as the school’s Director of Athletics. A lot has happened in the last 365 days, for both the Knights and the big boss.
Here’s the scoop: Mohajir has quickly earned the trust of the fan and alumni base with his quick-witted personality and business acumen. He’s wooed board members and conference commissioners, galvanized donors and Shareholders, unveiled a vision for the future of campus athletic facilities and helped propel UCF into the ranks of major collegiate athletics, all within 12 months.
I’d say job well done.
“There’s no better time to be here at UCF,” Mohajir said during his introductory press conference last February. “I’m happy to serve Knight nation.”
Mohajir has served them just fine. He was introduced a day after he accepted the job. He mentioned off the top of his address that he was an “emotional guy” and might fight back tears.
Not soon after, while Mohajir was thanking Arkansas State fans, he paused.
“Before I Charge On, I have to give Wolves Up and acknowledge the amazing people of Jonesboro, Arkansas…”
For 17 seconds, be broke down. Arms trembling and pounding his fist against the palm of his hand, fighting back tears. He paused, eyes welled and starting down at his notes, then continued.
..and the Red Wolves community.”
He did warn us. Terry has used that same authenticity and love for the community in Orlando, rallying Knight Nation with his sideline fist pumps and persuasive suaveness.
And there’s been some massive wins along the way:
Feb. 9, 2021: Mohajir hired by UCF as the ninth AD in school history, was given a 5-year, $4.3 million dollar deal.
Feb. 15, 2021: Gus Malzahn hired as UCF’s head football coach. He had previously worked for Mohajir while the two were at Arkansas State.
June 18, 2021: Spearheaded UCF’s debut of the LAUNCH program to assist athletes with the new NIL laws taking effect on July 1. They partnered with Opendorse and COMPASS.
July 8, 2021: The athletics’ Keep Charging On Fund surpasses $2 million dollar goal for donations.
July 27, 2021: UCF agrees to 3-game football series with the Florida Gators, two of which are in Gainesville. White had previously stated he was against signing a 2-for-1 with Florida.
July 28, 2021: Secures a football series against Maryland for 2025 and 2028, with the latter in Orlando.
Aug. 9, 2021: Lures Hula Bowl to UCF’s on-campus stadium while its Honolulu-based stadium is receiving upgrades.
Aug. 18, 2021: Women's golf head coach Emily Marron signs a contract extension through the 2025-26 season.
Aug. 19, 2021: Mohajir showed off his vision for $130M in facility enhancements, including what he calls a “football campus” that includes $50M in improvements to the Bounce House and a recovery cove, among other amenities. Mohajir also signed UCF women's soccer head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak to an extension through 2025.
Aug. 20, 2021: Men's soccer head coach Scott Calabrese agreed to an extension through the 2027 season.
Aug. 23, 2021: Signs women's tennis head coach Bryan Koniecko through the 2026-27 season.
Aug. 24, 2021: UCF’s men's tennis coach John Roddick signed a contract extension that will keep him in Orlando through the 2024-25 season.
Aug. 25, 2021: Signs baseball coach Greg Lovelady to a three-year contract extension.
Aug. 27, 2021: Softball head coach Cindy Ball-Malone signs a five-year contract extension through the 2026 season.
Sept 10, 2021: UCF accepts an invitation to join the Big 12 Conference, one of the Power 5 leagues in collegiate athletics. They’ll begin competition no later than 2024.
Sept. 16, 2021: Track and field and cross country coach Dana Boone inks an extension through the 2025-26 seasons.
Dec. 6, 2021: Mohajir lobbied to to face Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl, helping to secure the in-state match up.
Dec. 23, 2021: UCF beats Gators in Gasparilla Bowl, winning the “state championship” after finishing the season with the best record of any Sunshine State program.
Mohajir has plenty on his to-do list in 2022, including negotiating an exit from the American Athletic Conference, deciding on whether or not to keep men’s basketball coach Johnny Dawkins, securing a new apparel contract and attempting to increase UCF’s donor count to 10,000 by the summer.
But if we learned anything in 2021, it seems the sky really is the limit. Even he said so a year ago.
“Our level is a state of mind,” Mohajir said during his press conference a year ago, his voice echoing across the room. “Only we can stop our growth.”
A Dawg fight to open 🥎
UCF softball has sprinted out of the gate each of the last two seasons, starting 2020 with a program-best 16-2 record, then following that up opening 17-3 in 2021. In order to match that success, the Lady Knights must take out some top competition early.
Tell me more: Opening with No. 12 Georgia will be no easy task, as the Knights are set to face the Bulldogs on Thursday at 6 p.m. in Orlando. They’re one of three teams on the schedule that reached the Women's College World Series. Four of UCF's first five opponents of 2022 at least made it to regionals of the NCAA Tournament in 2021, then they have to pivot to the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational the following weekend, facing four teams that finished 2021 ranked in the Top 25.
What to know about Georgia: The Bulldogs are under new leadership, with Tony Baldwin taking over for Lu Harris-Champer, who retired after 21 years in Athens and four Final Four trips. Baldwin served as a coach on Harris-Champer’s staff. They lost to the eventual national champion Oklahoma Sooners in the Women's College World Series. They’re led by preseason All-SEC first baseman Lacey Fincher, who was Georgia's top hitter last season (.345, 15 HR and 37 RBI).
If you needed a refresher💡: UCF cracked the NCAA Tournament field in 2021 with an at-large bid, opened the tournament with a 5-4 win against Auburn, but eventually losing in the regional final to FSU. The Knights finished the 2021 season with a record of 41-19-1, the winningest campaign in the last six seasons. They boasted three top-five wins, beating No. 5 Florida twice and No. 2 Arizona.
There was also a new all-time wins leader in 2021, as Alea White picked up career record-breaking win No. 81 in an 8-2 win over New Mexico State on Feb. 21, moving her past Shelby Turnier as the winningest pitcher in program history.
She finished her run at UCF with 99 career wins.
UCF knocked off No. 2 Arizona on March 8, snapping their 23-game winning streak, which had been the longest in the country at that time.
The Knights also swept a two-game series with No. 5 Florida, a first in program history.
Gianna Mancha threw a no-hitter on April 23, her first career no-hitter and UCF's first since 2019.
The Knights made it all the way to the American Athletic Conference Championship game for the first time since 2015.
UCF made its first Big Dance appearance since 2016 and eighth-overall visit to the NCAA Tournament in its 20-year history.
Players to know 👀
SP Gianna Mancha (senior): She’s now the ace of the staff after posting a 14-6 record with a 2.42 ERA last season, with 139 batters strikeouts and a .197 batting average against. She had that no-hitter on April 23rd.
OF Denali Schappacher (fifth-year senior): Coming off a career year in which she hit for a .353 batting average and posted a .799 OPS.
OF Johneisha Rowe (FGCU transfer): Batted .336 and stringing together a 17-game hitting streak last season. She hit .481 and earning an OPS of 1.122 in a shortened 2020 season. Rowe has only been thrown out twice in 52 time stealing a base in her career.
INF Shannon Doherty (sophomore): UCF’s home run leader (11) returns this season after an all-conference rookie campaign. She walked more times (14) than she struck out (12) in 2021.
UTIL Jada Cody (sophomore): She played and started in all 61 games, the only Knight to do so, and was named first-team all AAC. She finished third on the team in overall batting average at .324 and had a team-high 59 hits and 44 runs scored.
WATCH 📺: UCF vs. No. 12 Georgia, 6 p.m. in Orlando - on ESPN+
Absorbing the Shockers…finally
Count me as one of those people who are waiting for something to go wrong when UCF plays Wichita State in basketball, because usually something does. Not this time.
Fill me in: The Shockers had beaten UCF every time the two stepped on the same floor, until Tuesday. Wichita State led the all-time series, 8-0, heading into their latest game, but the Knights held off a furious rally and needed a Brandon Mahan miracle shot to shock the Shockers and finally put them in the L column, 71-66.
Here’s the play that put it away, a baseline-drive, behind-the-head flip that extended UCF’s lead with under 25 seconds to go.
A few weeks ago Wichita, who was 0-4 in AAC play, defeated UCF, 84-79, sparking a streak where they won three of their last four, but it was good to see the Knights rebound. They’re now 10-3 at home this season, which is good, considering three of their next four contests are on their home floor.
Let’s zoom out 🏆: UCF is now 14-8 and has six regular-season games left before conference tournament play, including a tip at Houston next week, which is the only projected tournament team from the AAC in Joe Lunardi’s bracket. The Knights are a long shot to make the Big Dance and would likely have to win the conference tournament to get in.