Gus Malzahn gives inside look on feeling when FBC Mortgage Stadium starts bouncing

Gus Malzahn learned in short order after taking the UCF football head coaching job why FBC Mortgage Stadium is nicknamed “The Bounce House.” And now he’ll attest that it really does, in fact, bounce.

Malzahn took over at UCF ahead of the 2021 season and now, three years later, he can still remember how disconcerting the ruckus above was from the home locker room. Malzahn recalled those moments and his appreciation for the environment in a conversation with On3’s Andy Staples.

“It freaked me out a little bit, the first year, we’re in the locker room and before the game the doors are shaking, like ‘Whoa, what’s going on?’ But now I’m used to it. But it does bounce,” Malzahn said.

Malzahn also explained that the feeling from field-level is not really the same as what it’s like in the stands. With all the fans, speakers, bands and whatever noise making devices all effectively being directed at the field, things go up to another level down there.

The head coach also credits the lack of space between the stands and the field make it another notch rowdier, much to the advantage of Malzahn and his UCF teams.

“I tell ya, everybody’s on top you. It’s a different feel from a coach, player standpoint than any place I’ve been to, because they’re so close to you. But you do hear them bouncing,” Malzahn said.

Malzahn is excited about an offseason quarterback addition

KJ Jefferson could be the missing piece that UCF needs to take the next step heading into the 2024 season. Coming off of a 6-7 finish in their first season as a member of the Big 12, the Knights brought in the former Arkansas quarterback to replace John Rhys Plumlee.

Jefferson comes in with high expectations as the No. 73 overall player and No. 17 quarterback according to On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings. Malzahn has long been aware of what Jefferson brings to the table, even recruiting him when he coached at Auburn.

“I’m really excited about KJ,” Malzahn said. “I recruited him out of high school, but Bo Nix was the same age. Obviously we weren’t gonna take two quarterbacks. So I had my eye on him and, being from Arkansas, a lot of my friends are huge Arkansas fans. So when he went in the portal, he was our No. 1 guy.

“With what we like to do offensively, it doesn’t get any better than his skillset. I think he has the perfect skillset to thrive in our league and in our offense.”