Gus Malzahn facts for kids
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Malzahn in 2018
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| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Offensive coordinator |
| Team | Florida State |
| Conference | ACC |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | October 28, 1965 Irving, Texas, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1984–1985 | Arkansas |
| 1987–1989 | Henderson State |
| Position(s) | Wide receiver |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1991 | Hughes HS (AR) (OC) |
| 1992–1995 | Hughes HS (AR) |
| 1996–2000 | Shiloh Christian HS (AR) |
| 2001–2005 | Springdale HS (AR) |
| 2006 | Arkansas (OC/WR) |
| 2007–2008 | Tulsa (AHC/co-OC/QB) |
| 2009–2011 | Auburn (AHC/OC/QB) |
| 2012 | Arkansas State |
| 2013–2020 | Auburn |
| 2021–2024 | UCF |
| 2025–present | Florida State (OC) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 105–62 (college) 144–36–1 (high school) |
| Bowls | 3–7 (.300) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
1 SEC (2013)
1 SEC (2010) 1 SEC Western Division (2010) |
|
| Awards | |
Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (2013)
Rivals Offensive Coordinator of the Year (2006) |
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Arthur Gustav Malzahn III (born October 28, 1965), known as Gus Malzahn, is a well-known American college football coach. He is currently the offensive coordinator for Florida State.
Before joining Florida State, he was the head coach at the University of Central Florida (UCF) from 2021 to 2024. He also led the Auburn University team from 2013 to 2020 and Arkansas State in 2012. As an offensive coordinator at Auburn from 2009 to 2011, he helped the 2010 Auburn Tigers win a national championship.
As Auburn's head coach, he guided the team to an SEC Championship win and a spot in the 2014 National Championship. Malzahn has coached famous players like Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton. He also coached two other Heisman candidates, Nick Marshall and Tre Mason. He is the only head coach to win over 100 games at both the high school and college levels.
Contents
Playing Football
Gus Malzahn played football in college. He was a receiver at the Arkansas in 1984 and 1985. Later, he played for Henderson State University in 1988 and 1989. He earned his degree in physical education in 1990.
High School Coaching Career
Malzahn started his coaching career at Hughes High School in Arkansas in 1991. He became the head coach there in 1992. In 1994, his team almost won the state championship.
Shiloh Christian Success
From 1996 to 2000, Malzahn coached at Shiloh Christian School. He made their offense one of the best in the country. In 1998, his team set a national record with 66 passing touchdowns. He led Shiloh Christian to win two state championships in 1998 and 1999.
Springdale High School
In 2001, Malzahn became the coach at Springdale High School. He continued their strong football tradition. He led Springdale to two state championship games. In 2005, his team went undefeated (14–0) and won the state championship. They outscored their opponents by a lot. Many of his players from this team went on to play college football.
In 2013, Gus Malzahn was honored. He was inducted into the Arkansas High School Coaches Association's Hall of Fame.
College Coaching Career
Offensive Coordinator Roles
Arkansas Razorbacks
In 2005, Malzahn joined the University of Arkansas as offensive coordinator. This was a big step, as he had only coached high school before. He helped the Razorbacks win the SEC Western Division in 2006. They finished the season with a 10–4 record. Malzahn was named the National Offensive Coordinator of the Year by Rivals.com.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
In 2007, Malzahn moved to the University of Tulsa. He became the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. His offense at Tulsa was incredibly successful. In 2007, Tulsa was first in the nation for total yards per game. They were also third in passing yards.
In 2008, Tulsa's offense was again one of the best. They led the nation in total yards. They were second in scoring, averaging over 47 points per game. Tulsa's offense was known for being very balanced.
Auburn Tigers
Malzahn became the offensive coordinator at Auburn University in 2008. He quickly improved Auburn's offense. In his first year, Auburn ranked 16th in total offense nationally. They also improved their scoring significantly.
In 2010, Malzahn was named assistant head coach for offense. He coached Cam Newton, who later won the Heisman Trophy. Malzahn's offense helped Auburn have an undefeated season. They won the SEC Championship Game and the 2011 BCS National Championship Game against Oregon. Malzahn received the 2010 Broyles Award as the top assistant coach.
Florida State Seminoles
Malzahn resigned from UCF in November 2024. He then became the new offensive coordinator at Florida State.
Head Coach Roles
Arkansas State Red Wolves
In December 2011, Malzahn became the head coach at Arkansas State University. In his only year there, he led the team to a 9–3 record. They won the Sun Belt Conference Championship. Arkansas State also won the GoDaddy.com Bowl.
Auburn Tigers (Head Coach)
After a tough 2012 season for Auburn, Malzahn returned as head coach in December 2012. He quickly turned the team around. In 2013, his first year back, Auburn had an amazing season. They won the SEC Championship. They also played in the 2014 National Championship Game.
During this season, Auburn had two famous plays. "The Prayer at Jordan–Hare" was a last-minute touchdown pass against Georgia. The "Kick Six" was a game-winning return of a missed field goal against rival Alabama. Malzahn won many "coach of the year" awards in 2013. These included the AP College Football Coach of the Year Award.
In 2016, Auburn played in the New Year's Six Sugar Bowl. In 2017, Malzahn led Auburn to the SEC Championship game. They beat both #1 ranked Georgia and #1 ranked Alabama. After the season, he signed a long contract extension with Auburn.
Malzahn coached 12 All-America Team players at Auburn. Many of his players were also selected in the NFL draft. On December 13, 2020, Malzahn was no longer the head coach at Auburn. He finished with a 68–35 record.
UCF Knights
On February 15, 2021, Malzahn became the head coach at UCF. In his first season (2021), UCF finished with a 9–4 record. They won the Gasparilla Bowl against in-state rival Florida.
In 2022, UCF's offense was strong, ranking high in scoring and rushing. They reached the AAC Championship. Before the 2023 season, Malzahn's contract with UCF was extended.
In 2023, UCF joined the Big 12 conference. The team started strong but then struggled. They finished the season with a 6–7 record. In 2024, UCF finished 4–8, missing a bowl game for the first time in Malzahn's head coaching career. He resigned from UCF in November 2024 to join Florida State.
Offensive Philosophy
Gus Malzahn is known for his smart offensive ideas. He is famous for his hurry-up offense, which means his team plays without a huddle. In 2003, he even wrote a book about this strategy called Hurry Up No Huddle – An Offensive Philosophy. Many college and even some National Football League teams now use similar fast-paced offensive styles.
Coaching Tree
Malzahn started his college coaching career under Houston Nutt. He has also helped many players and coaches grow.
Players Who Became Head Coaches
- G. J. Kinne: Coach at Incarnate Word (2022) and Texas State (2023–present)
- Rhett Lashlee: Coach at SMU (2022–present)
Coaches Who Worked Under Malzahn and Became Head Coaches
- Kenny Dillingham: Coach at Arizona State (2023–present)
- Eliah Drinkwitz: Coach at Appalachian State (2019) and Missouri (2020–present)
- Mike Norvell: Coach at Memphis (2016–2019) and Florida State (2020–present)
- Cadillac Williams: Interim coach at Auburn (2022)
Head Coaching Record
College
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas State Red Wolves (Sun Belt Conference) (2012) | |||||||||
| 2012 | Arkansas State | 9–3 | 7–1 | 1st | GoDaddy.com* | ||||
| Arkansas State: | 9–3 | 7–1 | * Did not coach bowl game | ||||||
| Auburn Tigers (Southeastern Conference) (2013–2020) | |||||||||
| 2013 | Auburn | 12–2 | 7–1 | T–1st (Western) | L BCS NCG† | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2014 | Auburn | 8–5 | 4–4 | T–4th (Western) | L Outback | 23 | 22 | ||
| 2015 | Auburn | 7–6 | 2–6 | 7th (Western) | W Birmingham | ||||
| 2016 | Auburn | 8–5 | 5–3 | T–2nd (Western) | L Sugar† | 22 | 24 | ||
| 2017 | Auburn | 10–4 | 7–1 | T–1st (Western) | L Peach† | 12 | 10 | ||
| 2018 | Auburn | 8–5 | 3–5 | 5th (Western) | W Music City | ||||
| 2019 | Auburn | 9–4 | 5–3 | 3rd (Western) | L Outback | 14 | 14 | ||
| 2020 | Auburn | 6–5 | 6–4 | 3rd (Western) | Citrus* | ||||
| Auburn: | 68–35 | 38–27 | * Did not coach bowl game | ||||||
| UCF Knights (American Athletic Conference) (2021–2022) | |||||||||
| 2021 | UCF | 9–4 | 5–3 | T–3rd | W Gasparilla | ||||
| 2022 | UCF | 9–5 | 6–2 | T–2nd | L Military | ||||
| UCF Knights (Big 12 Conference) (2023–2024) | |||||||||
| 2023 | UCF | 6–7 | 3–6 | T–9th | L Gasparilla | ||||
| 2024 | UCF | 4–8 | 2–7 | T–13th | |||||
| UCF: | 28–24 | 16–18 | |||||||
| Total: | 105–62 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
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High School
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hughes Blue Devils () (1992–1995) | |||||||||
| 1992 | Hughes | 4–6 | 3–4 | ||||||
| 1993 | Hughes | 6–4 | 4–2 | ||||||
| 1994 | Hughes | 10–4 | 4–2 | ||||||
| 1995 | Hughes | 8–3 | 4–2 | ||||||
| Hughes: | 28–17 | 15–10 | |||||||
| Shiloh Christian Saints () (1996–2000) | |||||||||
| 1996 | Shiloh Christian | 6–6 | 4–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1997 | Shiloh Christian | 14–1 | 3–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1998 | Shiloh Christian | 15–0 | 0–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1999 | Shiloh Christian | 15–0 | 1–0 | 1st | |||||
| 2000 | Shiloh Christian | 13–1–1 | 6–0 | 1st | |||||
| Shiloh Christian: | 63–8–1 | 14–0 | |||||||
| Springdale Bulldogs () (2001–2005) | |||||||||
| 2001 | Springdale | 7–4 | 4–3 | ||||||
| 2002 | Springdale | 12–2 | 6–1 | 1st | |||||
| 2003 | Springdale | 8–4 | 5–2 | ||||||
| 2004 | Springdale | 12–1 | 7–0 | 1st | |||||
| 2005 | Springdale | 14–0 | 7–0 | 1st | |||||
| Springdale: | 53–11 | 29–6 | |||||||
| Total: | 144–36–1 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
Published Works
Gus Malzahn has also shared his football knowledge in a book:
- The Hurry Up, No Huddle: An Offensive Philosophy (2003)
Personal Life
Gus Malzahn is married and has two children.
