Former DC Ted Roof files lawsuit against UCF, claims breach of contract

On Friday, former UCF defensive coordinator Ted Roof filed a lawsuit against the university, claiming breach of contract. UCF adjusted Roof’s termination compensation after head coach Gus Malzahn resigned, per WKMG TV’s Jamie Seh.

The 2024 campaign was Roof’s first season at UCF. The university fired Roof on Oct. 28, after the Knights had lost five games in a row. In Roof’s final two games with UCF, the defense gave up a combined 75 points and 1,010 total yards to Iowa State and BYU.

According to Roof’s original contract with the school, UCF was obligated to pay him the remainder of his contract and any accrued incentives that it hadn’t paid him yet upon his dismissal, per the Orlando Sentinel.

While the details aren’t clear yet, Roof is reportedly alleging that UCF changed this initial agreement after Malzahn resigned on Nov. 30, to take the offensive coordinator position at Florida State. Roof hasn’t been hired on another staff yet but he doesn’t lack experience.

Roof has coached at over 15 collegiate programs and served as the head coach at Duke from 2003-07. During Roof’s time at the helm of the program, the Blue Devils posted a 6-45 overall record and a 3-33 mark in conference play.

Although Ted Roof never found general success in Durham, NC, he almost always boasted one of the top defenses in the ACC. In turn, Roof had nine defensive coordinator jobs after he parted ways with Duke.

Guz Malzahn explains move to Florida State

Gus Malzahn made waves when he chose to leave the UCF Knights, where he was the head coach, to become the offensive coordinator for the Florida State Seminoles. However, for Malzahn himself, it was a decision that made all the sense in the world.

Malzahn explained that the move will allow him to focus on coaching football. On top of that, his prior relationship with Mike Norvell, the current head coach at Florida State, made the move exciting for him.

“I’m just an old-school football coach,” Gus Malzahn said. “I love coaching football. As head coaches, it’s hard to do that a lot, so that had something to do with it, plus the opportunity and being familiar with Mike [Norvell] and having so much respect for this university.

“I know what this place is capable of doing … it was kind of really all above, as far as making this decision. Then my relationship with Mike was probably the major thing with that.“

On3’s Dan Morrison also contributed to this report.