Three Candidates For UCF's Defensive Backs Coach
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He may not have expected it as of last week, but UCF Knights coach Scott Frost has another staff hire to make this offseason.
With UCF defensive backs coach Brandon Harris moving on to take the same, or similar, position at Florida State, Frost now has to hire a new defensive backs coach alongside a new offensive line coach.
Here are three people Frost may consider for the job:
1. Travis Fisher
Should Frost want to make the decision easy on himself, he could just stay in-house and simply promote Travis Fisher, who is already on the Knights staff as a senior defensive analyst.
Fisher served as defensive backs coach under Frost during his first stint at UCF and his entire tenure at Nebraska, during which time he worked with several players who have gone on to play in the NFL, such as Clayton Geathers, Shaquil Griffin and Mike Hughes during his time at UCF and Cam Taylor-Britt during his time at Nebraska.
In the intervening period between Frost's firing at Nebraska and rejoining him at UCF this season, Fisher spent the 2023 season as the cornerbacks coach at Syracuse before taking the 2024 season off.
Fisher's relationship with UCF extends further than Frost, however. He played for the Knights from 1999-2001 and, after an eight-season NFL career, he made his coaching debut with UCF, working as a defensive quality assistant under George O'Leary in 2013.
2. Demario Warren
Should Frost look outside Orlando for his new defensive backs coach, one name that stands out is Boise State's cornerbacks coach, Demario Warren.
Warren has been with the Broncos since 2022, and during that time, they've won three straight Mountain West titles, including this season, in which they also finished 10th in the nation in team passing efficiency defense.
It's not just on-field performance that makes Warren stand out, however, because Frost actually has an in at Boise State: defensive coordinator Erik Chinander. Chinander served as Frost's defensive coordinator during both his first stint at UCF and his entire tenure at Nebraska. So, Frost has someone he could call to learn more about Warren and see if he would be a good fit for his staff.
Prior to joining Chinander at Boise State, Warren spent 2008-2021 at his first coaching stop, Southern Utah. He worked his way up from defensive backs coach to the head job, which he held from 2016-2021. He also possesses leadership capabilities.
The biggest question mark here is that Warren was born in California, played for UC Davis and never held a coaching job outside of Southern Utah or Boise State, so would he take a job this far east?
3. Tim Bennett
Should Frost want to look outside of his rolodex for his next defensive backs coach, one team he could look toward is Toledo, which finished ranked second in the nation in team passing efficiency defense.
The Rockets' cornerbacks coach, Perry Eliano, might have more experience, but if Frost is looking to select another young coaching talent, like he did with Harris, then Tim Bennett would be his man.
Bennett is the Rockets' assistant defensive backs coach, a role he has held for two seasons. He was Toledo's director of player development before that and even held both roles in 2024.
One of the players Bennett has worked with, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, is getting projected as a Day 2 selection for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Catch up on more UCF news below:
Three Candidates For UCF's Offensive Line Coach
The UCF Knights 2025 Transfer Portal Report Card: Defensive Tackles
Bryson Turner is a sports journalist who covers UCF Athletics. Turner has contributed to the Black and Gold Banneret, the home for UCF Athletics on SB Nation. He has called the Orlando area home since the age of 8 and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from UCF.
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