All for Tennessee
Fansided

Danny White: Ranking Tennessee Vols AD’s 10 best coaching hires at UCF, Buffalo

By Caleb Calhoun

Mar 24, 2019; Storrs, CT, USA; Buffalo Bulls head coach Felisha Legette-Jack watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies during the first inning in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2019; Storrs, CT, USA; Buffalo Bulls head coach Felisha Legette-Jack watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies during the first inning in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 10
Next
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 17: Danny White, the UCF Knights Athletic director looks on to the screen during pregame before a game against the Cincinnati Bearcats on November 17, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 17: Danny White, the UCF Knights Athletic director looks on to the screen during pregame before a game against the Cincinnati Bearcats on November 17, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

Record with UCF Knights: 126-68

  • 1 AAC Championship (2017)
  • 1 NCAA Tournament (2017 NCAA Regionals)

In this case, we’re looking at a coach who took over a solid program and took it to a completely different level. Terry Rooney had coached the UCF Knights baseball program for seven years and made back to back NCAA Regionals in 2011 and 2012. However, he had suffered through two losing seasons in four years from 2013 to 2016, including in 2016.

After he left, Danny White made a splash hire in Greg Lovelady. In just three years with the Wright State Raiders, Lovelady won the regular season Horizon League Championship in 2014, the Horizin League Tournament Championship in 2015 and the Horizon League Regular Season and Tournament Championship in 2016, reaching NCAA Regionals in 2015 and 2016.

Well, Lovelady immediately got things going at UCF. While Rooney never even won a Conference USA Championships, Lovelady took the Knights to a 40-22 record and American Athletic Conference Championship en route to NCAA Regionals his first year in 2017.

He didn’t win any titles or make any postseasons in 2018 or 2019, but he still had winning records. Then, in 2020, Lovelady had the Knights at 15-3 before COVID shut down the season. They likely would have made another postseason otherwise. Still, Lovelady has done a great job so far and was another great hire.

Home/Tennessee Volunteers