“That span was just blank, there was nothing there. We asked what he’d been up to since he left UCF, and he didn’t really have a good answer. Said he did some traveling, went home for a while, visited some old friends, but just generally didn’t compete, didn’t coach, just took some time. So, ‘vague’ might be the best way to classify his response,” said UCF Athletic Director Terry Mohajir.

Was the coaching sabbatical an issue for Mohajir and the Golden Knights football program? Not really, said the Orlando-based AD.

“It was a bit of a hang up at first, but ultimately, the memory of that undefeated 2017 season was just too enticing for us to ignore, so we’re excited to move forward. Whatever happened since 2017 is his business,” Mohajir concluded.