UCF Turns To NFL For New Defensive Backs Coach
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The UCF Knights have found their new defensive backs coach... again.
UCF announced the hiring of David Overstreet ll as its new cornerbacks coach on Wednesday morning, six days before spring practice was set to get underway. The move comes almost one month to the day since coach Scott Frost's previous hire for the position, Will Johnson, was hired away by the Minnesota Vikings after just under two months in Orlando.
Welcome to UCF, Coach Overstreet ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/wSg0PFnNRu
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) March 25, 2026
While the Knights lost Johnson to the NFL, they ended up looking there for his replacement. Overstreet has spent his last eight seasons in the NFL, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys under first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer, as their cornerbacks/secondary coach. The Cowboys ended up finishing last in the league last season in passing defense, allowing 4,521 passing yards and 35 passing touchdowns.
Before heading to Dallas, Overstreet spent three seasons with the Chicago Bears on the staff of coach Matt Eberflus, first serving as assistant defensive backs coach in 2022 and 2023 before coaching the nickelbacks in 2024. During his time there, he worked with cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who qualified for the Pro Bowl in both 2023 and 2024 and was named All-Pro Second Team in 2023. Overstreet was also on the staff of the Indianapolis Colts from 2018 to 2021 under coach Frank Reich, starting out as a defensive quality control coach before becoming an assistant defensive backs coach in 2021.
This new job with the Knights is set to be Overstreet's first time coaching college players since his days at the community college level from 2015 to 2017. After his coaching debut at Holmes Community College in Mississippi in 2015, he spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons at Garden City Community College in Kansas as its cornerbacks and defensive passing game coordinator.
Garden City ended up going undefeated and winning the NJCAA National Championship in 2016. One of Overstreet's defensive backs on this team, who earned NJCAA first-team All-American honors, was future UCF Knight Mike Hughes, who got selected with the 30th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft after one season in Orlando.
Overstreet was a defensive back himself, a safety, during his playing days at Missouri from 2002 to 2006. He ended up working his way up to be the Tigers' team captain in 2006 and was named an All-Big 12 Second Teamer.
Overstreet comes from a football legacy as the son of former Miami Dolphins running back David Overstreet. The elder Overstreet was a running back for Oklahoma from 1977 to 1980 and was selected 13th overall in the 1981 NFL Draft by the Dolphins. However, a contract dispute resulted in him playing two seasons in the CFL for the Montreal Alouettes in 1981 and 1982.
Overstreet ended up joining the Dolphins for the 1983 season, but it would end up being his only season playing in the NFL. On the morning of June 24, 1984, Overstreet died in a car accident while visiting relatives in Texas.
Working alongside Alex Grinch, UCF's defensive coordinator and safeties coach, Overstreet ll is set to helm a Knights defensive back group that finished 22nd in the nation and third in the Big 12 in passing yards allowed. Several players from that group are returning this season, including All-Big 12 Honorable mention Jayden Bellamy, Braeden Marshall, Demari Henderson and Antione Jackson.
Spring practice gets underway for the Knights on March 31.
Catch up on more UCF Knights news below:
Official UCF Spring Roster Reveals More Player Returns
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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