University of Central Florida

Dawkins set to lead UCF men’s basketball program in brutal Big 12

ORLANDO, Fla. -- UCF’s Johnny Dawkins will enter his eighth season as the Knights head basketball coach this upcoming season in the Big 12.

The former Duke Blue Devil star has completed six winning seasons during his tenure as head coach, including developing former Knights star Taylor Hendricks into the first one-and-done NBA Draft lottery pick in program history.

Dawkins also led the Knights to their first NCAA tournament win against VCU back in 2019. Once a program reaches a destination like ‘The Big Dance’ fans and supporters expect this kind of success every season. Unfortunately, Dawkins hasn’t been able to get back to the NCAA tournament since the 2018-19 season.

However, he believes joining the best college basketball league in the country is a perfect chance to show what his entire staff and players are made of.