 One
of the longest-tenured head coaches in the nation, Kirk Speraw
has led UCF to nothing but success during his time with the
Knights. Most recently, he has proved the pundits wrong by
guiding his program to the top of Conference USA.
When the Knights joined the conference prior to the 2005-06
campaign, media members that cover the league predicted that it
would take UCF four to five years to move into the upper echelon
of the conference. After all, Speraw's program was leaving the
Atlantic Sun to join one of the top-10 leagues in the nation.
Unlike the A-Sun, C-USA featured storied programs like Houston,
Memphis, Tulsa and UTEP, who have all played in the Final Four.
Five years later, it is clear that Speraw's team can compete in
the conference. UCF has finished in the top half of the 12-team
league in each of its campaigns in C-USA. Since joining the
conference, the Knights have won 34 league contests, a mark that
ranks in the top-half among conference programs during that
span.
Speraw, who has spent 16 years as the Knights' head coach, has
quickly built UCF into one of C-USA's top programs. The 2006-07
C-USA Coach of the Year, Speraw has developed a winning
mentality at UCF.
The Knights have averaged 20 victories over the last seven
seasons. Thanks to Speraw, who has guided the school to the NCAA
Tournament four times, UCF is recognized as one of the top
programs in the state of Florida and in the country. Since the
start of the 2002-03 campaign, the Knights have won 139
contests, a mark that ranks second among all state schools in
the top-75 nationally during that span.
Speraw is one of the few coaches in the nation who have spent at
least 15 seasons with their current school. He is among an
impressive list of mentors who are currently enjoying long
tenures, including Jim Boeheim of Syracuse, Jim Calhoun of
Connecticut, Mike Krzyzewski of Duke and Gary Williams of
Maryland.
As UCF's head coach, Speraw boasts a 264-216 mark. His 264
victories rank second all-time at the school. Overall as a head
coach, he is 346-237.
Immediate C-USA Success
Despite facing schools with long basketball traditions on a
nightly basis, UCF has enjoyed immediate success since entering
C-USA, highlighted by a second-place finish behind national
power Memphis in 2006-07.
Thanks to Speraw, Jermaine Taylor developed into the top player
of the league in 2008-09. The senior shooting guard averaged
26.2 points, good for third nationally. In C-USA play, he
established league records by totaling 466 points and averaged
29.1 points. Taylor collected several accolades during the
campaign, including Associated Press All-America Honorable
Mention honors, the C-USA Player of the Year award and
all-district honors from the National Association of Basketball
Coaches and the United States Basketball Writers Association.
After the year ended, Taylor competed in the slam dunk
championship and NABC all-star game at the Final Four, and also
participated in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. Taylor
was selected with the 32nd overall pick in the 2009 National
Basketball Association Draft by Washington.
With eight true freshmen and 12 total underclassmen, UCF had the
fifth-youngest team in the country, but still posted a 17-14
mark. The Knights had several impressive victories during the
campaign. In November, UCF recorded one of the biggest wins in
program history, coming back to top host New Mexico, 72-71, at
The Pit. The UCF triumph snapped a 33-game home non-conference
winning streak for the Lobos.
 The
Knights were among the national leaders in both free-throw
percentage (74.7, 23rd) and assists per game (15.4, 41st). A.J.
Rompza, who dished out 5.2 assists an outing, was named to the
C-USA All-Freshman Team. In 2007-08, UCF opened league play with
four-consecutive victories and went on to finish 9-7 in C-USA
games. Despite injuries to key players and a challenging
non-league slate, the squad recorded a 16-15 overall mark.
UCF posted two of the top offensive performances in C-USA
history during the campaign, scoring 110 points in a league win
over East Carolina and 109 points in a conference victory
against UTEP. In league action, the Knights shot 46.1 percent
from the floor, which paced the conference.
Following the regular season, Taylor garnered a spot on the
All-C-USA Second Team, becoming the second UCF player in as many
years to garner all-league honors. He was not the only Knight
who was recognized by the conference as Dave Noel was selected
to the C-USA All-Defensive Team.
The Knights played the toughest non-conference schedule in
school history that year. UCF faced three BIG EAST programs, and
teams from the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC. UCF met a pair of
nationally-ranked teams at the Old Spice Classic in nearby Lake
Buena Vista, facing No. 18 Kansas State and No. 19 Villanova.
Three other squads that UCF played - Nevada, Ole Miss and Sam
Houston State - were all garnering votes in national polls when
meeting the Knights.
In 2006-07, Speraw guided the Knights to one of their finest
campaigns at the Division I level. UCF went 22-9, recorded its
fourth 20-victory season in five years and won a school-record
15 games at home.
UCF's second-place finish in C-USA garnered national attention.
Prior to the start of the year, the Knights were picked to
finish seventh in the 12-team league. The Knights went 11-5
against league foes, earning the No. 2 seed at the C-USA
Championship in March. UCF was one of four teams to receive a
first-round bye.
The Knights were one of the top shooting teams in the nation,
leading C-USA in field goal and 3-point field-goal percentage.
The Knights shot 39.4 percent from deep, which ranked 24th
nationally.
The team recorded several impressive victories, including a win
over Utah in the San Juan Shootout and a victory at UTEP that
snapped the Miners' nine-game C-USA home winning streak.
Following the regular season, Josh Peppers became the first UCF
player to garner All-C-USA honors when he earned a spot on the
all-conference second team. Peppers finished his career seventh
all-time in school history with 1,376 points.
With a victory over NJIT in December, Speraw notched his
300th-career win. When Speraw received the C-USA Coach of the
Year honor, he joined an impressive group of coaches who have
claimed the award, including John Calipari, Tom Crean, Denny
Crum, Bob Huggins and Rick Pitino.
In its first year in C-USA, UCF finished 14-15 overall in
2005-06 and 7-7 in the conference, good for fifth in the
standings. The team closed the season by winning four of its
last six games. The late season success was highlighted by a
convincing victory over East Carolina in the opening round of
the league championship.
The Knights won games thanks to their strong defense, a staple
during the Speraw era. UCF limited its foes to just 63.4 points
per game, which ranked second in the conference. The team held
15 of its opponents to below 60 points. On offense, the Knights
paced C-USA in 3-point field-goal percentage, shooting 36.5
percent from deep.
Speraw reached a milestone during the season, winning his 200th
game as UCF's head coach when the Knights topped Norfolk State
in December at home.
A New Home for the Knights
Since arriving at UCF in 1993, Speraw envisioned his teams
playing in front of packed crowds inside a top-notch facility.
That goal became a reality in 2007-08 when the new UCF Arena
opened. The 10,000-seat venue provides the program with one of
the top home courts in the nation.
The Knights' inaugural season at the new arena was a success.
Not only did the team go 12-4 at home, but the program also
established a new attendance record. A school-record 78,253 fans
attended 16 home contests for an average of 4,891. The following
year, UCF won 13 games at home and a school-record 9,825 fans
watched the Knights host Memphis.
The respect that Speraw's program has gained on the national
level has been apparent during as several top squads have made
visits to the new arena during non-conference play. Connecticut,
Nevada and Ole Miss have all played the Knights in Orlando.
A-Sun Dominance
Under Speraw, UCF dominated the competition in the A-Sun. He led
the Knights to a 122-93 record in league contests. UCF was just
as impressive in the conference tournament. The program ended
its A-Sun stint atop the league record books with a 21-7
tournament mark, seven finals appearances and four title game
victories.
In 2004-05, the Knights posted one of the most impressive
campaigns in UCF history. The team went 24-9 and claimed the
A-Sun regular season crown before winning the conference
championship title with a 63-54 victory over Gardner-Webb.
Speraw's squad made its second-consecutive NCAA Tournament
appearance in 2005, meeting defending national champion
Connecticut in the first round in Worcester, Mass.
Several individuals garnered accolades for their play during the
2004-05 campaign. Gary Johnson was named the most valuable
player of the A-Sun Championship and was joined on the
all-tournament team by Peppers. Both Johnson and Peppers were
selected to the all-conference second team at the end of the
regular season.
Johnson sank 103 3-point field goals on the year, establishing a
program single-season record. UCF's 283 treys were also a school
record. On the defensive end, the team blocked 143 shots, the
most in Knights' history.
UCF peaked at the right time, winning 12 of its last 14
contests. The team concluded the regular season with a five-game
winning streak.
With a 25-6 record, the 2003-04 squad is considered by many to
be the best team in the UCF annals. The Knights registered a
14-game winning streak, their longest since entering the
Division I ranks. UCF rolled through A-Sun play with a 17-3
mark. With a victory over Troy in the conference championship
title game, UCF claimed the league's automatic bid to the NCAA
Tournament.
The Knights earned a No. 14 seed in the tournament and met
Pittsburgh in the first round in Milwaukee, Wis.
A pair of players received all-league honors as Dexter Lyons was
a first-team selection and Roberto Morentin was named to the
second team. Lyons also earned the A-Sun Defensive Player of the
Year honor when the award was presented for the first time. In
addition, he received the A-Sun Championship MVP award.
Speraw led UCF to its first of three-consecutive trips to the
A-Sun Championship title game in 2002-03. His team completed the
season with a 21-11 record. The highlight of the year came on
Dec. 12 at home when the Knights defeated No. 25 College of
Charleston, 82-64, to record the first win in school history
over a nationally-ranked foe.
Speraw's 2001-02 squad registered a 17-12 overall mark. In
1999-00, he guided an injury-plagued team to 11 victories in its
final 17 contests and a trip to the A-Sun Championship final
game. That season, Speraw helped Jason Thornton lead the nation
in 3-point shooting. Thornton hit 94 triples and shot 49.5
percent from deep during the campaign. He finished his career
with a school-best 220 3-point field goals.
UCF recorded a 19-10 record, including a 13-3 showing in the
A-Sun, in 1998-99. The team advanced to the A-Sun Championship
title game. Brad Traina earned first-team all-league honors
after the regular season.
Individual Development
During Speraw's tenure, 18 of his players have received
all-conference accolades, including four first-team members
(Taylor, Lyons, Traina, Mark Jones and Ochiel Swaby). Jones was
named the A-Sun Player of the Year in 1997-98, while also
winning the newcomer of the year award that same season.
Five Knight standouts who played under Speraw - Peppers, Taylor,
Traina, D'Quarius Stewart and Paul Reed - are members of UCF's
1,000-point club. Reed and Mario Lovett, who was also coached by
Speraw, are two of the five players in UCF history to grab at
least 600 rebounds.
Taylor concluded his career as the top player in program
history. In four years with the Knights, he scored 1,979 points,
good for tops on the school's Division I register.
A pair of Knights that Speraw coached are enshrined in the UCF
Athletics Hall of Fame. Sinua Phillips, who holds the school's
single-season and career records for assists, was selected for
the hall of fame in 2006. Two years later, Darryl Davis earned
entrance. Davis played under Speraw for two seasons and is one
of three Knights to record 1,500 points and grab 500 rebounds.
Both players were members of the Knights' 1994 NCAA Tournament
squad.
Academic Success
Since his arrival in Orlando, Speraw has stressed success in the
classroom as well as strong play on the court. During the
2006-07 campaign, four UCF student-athletes were named to the
C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll with a grade-point average of
3.0 or higher. Since the start of the 1993-94 season, 54 of
Speraw's players have earned all-academic league recognition.
Following the 2003-04 season, Morentin was named to the CoSIDA
Academic All-America District III Team.
Speraw's Knights are also active in the community, lending their
time to worthy causes in the Orlando area.
Serving as a Mentor
In addition to guiding his players both on and off the court,
Speraw has also served as a mentor for members of his coaching
staff. Former UCF assistant Tom Schuberth was hired as the head
coach at Texas-Pan American in 2006. In 2007-08, Schuberth was
named the Division I Independent Coach of the Year after leading
the Broncs to 18 victories.
Another former Speraw assistant, Chris Mowry, is the head coach
at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Fla. Steve DeMeo,
who served as an assistant under Speraw in 2008-09, is the head
coach at Newberry College in South Carolina.
Early Victories at UCF
In his early years as UCF's head coach, Speraw led the Knights
to several successful seasons. He guided the Knights' 1997-98
team to a 17-11 mark. The squad concluded the regular season
with a seven-game winning streak.
In 1995-96, Speraw's Knights entered the A-Sun Championship with
a No. 6 seed. UCF reeled off three victories at the tournament,
including an 86-77 win over Mercer in the title game, to claim
the league championship crown. In the NCAA Tournament, the
Knights faced top-ranked Massachusetts in the opening round in
Providence, R.I.
In his first year in Orlando in 1993-94, Speraw inherited a team
that went just 10-17 the previous season. He molded his squad,
which was playing its first season as a member of the A-Sun,
into an impressive unit, finishing the campaign with a 21-9
record, giving UCF its first 20-win season at the Division I
level.
The Knights bowled over the competition at the conference
championship. The team topped Stetson, 70-67, in the title game
to earn its first trip to the NCAA Tournament.
In his first season as a Division I head coach, Speraw guided
his squad to the "Big Dance." Making its first
national-television appearance, UCF faced top-seeded Purdue in
the first round of the tournament at historic Rupp Arena in
Lexington, Ky.
Success From the Start
Speraw has enjoyed success on every rung of the coaching ladder.
He came to UCF after a three-year stint as an assistant at
Florida under Lon Kruger. The Gators won 19 contests in 1991-92
and advanced to the postseason National Invitation Tournament
semifinals after finishing second in the Southeastern
Conference's East Division. Florida's 1992-93 squad also
participated in the postseason NIT.
While on the Gators' staff, Speraw mentored some of the best
players in program history, including Craig Brown, Livingston
Chatman, Dan Cross, Dwayne Davis and Stacey Poole.
Prior to serving on the Gators' staff, he posted three solid
campaigns as the head coach at Pensacola Junior College,
starting in 1987.
During his time at PJC, Speraw led the Pirates to an 82-21
record and three-consecutive Panhandle Conference titles. His
team recorded a 31-7 mark and finished fifth nationally in
1989-90. That season, Speraw was honored as the National
Association of Basketball Coaches/Kodak National Junior College
Coach of the Year, as well as the state's coach of the year.
Speraw helped Matt Greene garner NJCAA All-America honorable
mention honors that same year.
Before moving to the bench at PJC, he served as an assistant at
Florida Southern under George Scholz from 1982-87. While Speraw
coached at Florida Southern, the Moccasins had a 109-46 overall
record and made four appearances in the Division II NCAA
Tournament, including a third-place finish in 1986.
Speraw helped recruit and coach four first-team All-America
selections, including Jerry Johnson and Kris Kearney, who both
earned national player of the year honors. Johnson was selected
in the third round by Dallas in the 1988 National Basketball
Association Draft. Both players are members of the Sunshine
State Conference Hall of Fame.
Speraw began his coaching career at his alma mater, serving as a
graduate assistant with Iowa's 1979-80 team that advanced to the
Final Four. The Hawkeyes went 23-8 that season. Speraw then
moved on to Denver, where he was an assistant coach and
recruiting coordinator for two years.
Preparing for the Future
As both an assistant and a head coach, Speraw has mentored
dozens of players who have played professionally. Andrew DeClerq,
who he coached at Florida, and Jones, both played in the NBA.
Jones made his NBA debut in 2005, playing close to UCF with the
Orlando Magic. He also played in the NBA Development League.
Lyons has spent time with NBA franchises as well. In 2005, he
played with the Magic in the Reebok Vegas Summer League. The
previous season, Lyons was a member of Boston's squad at the
Pepsi Pro Summer League. In 2006, Lyons was selected in the
D-League Draft.
Speraw also prepares his players for life after basketball. Many
former Knights are enjoying success in the "real world." Speraw
takes pride in the fact that among his former players are
respected businessmen, detectives, doctors, educators and social
workers.
A Family Man
A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Speraw played collegiately at Iowa
for legendary head coach Lute Olson. He was a member of the
1978-79 Hawkeye squad that won the Big Ten title and won 20
contests. Speraw helped the team win 13 games in Big Ten play.
As a senior, he was named the team's most inspirational player.
Speraw is a devoted family man. He and his wife, Tracy, have two
sons, Drew and Dustin. The couple also has two daughters, Brooke
and Bailey.
Drew is a senior guard for the Knights. He appeared in 19
contests as a junior in 2008-09
The former A-Sun representative to the National Association of
Basketball Coaches, Speraw is an active member of the
professional organization.
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