Imago
via Imago/@coachgabelazo IG
Imago
via Imago/@coachgabelazo IG
Kim Mulkey is left in a bind. Mulkey hired Gabe Lazo just this past week after he resigned from his position under Kim Caldwell at Tennessee. He was expected to be a major addition in Baton Rouge with regard to recruiting, possibly bringing some of the Tennessee Vols who have entered the transfer portal. However, in about four days, Lazo has found a new destination.
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Gabe Lazo has been hired as the next head coach at UCF. The move comes just days after LSU formally announced his hiring on March 31, making his departure one of the shortest assistant tenures of the offseason.
“Gabe represents what we were looking for in the next leader of our women’s basketball program,” the UCF Director of Athletics said in a statement. “He’s a proven competitor at every level of the game, with deep Florida roots, an elite ability to connect with people, and a track record of developing student-athletes on and off the court. He has consistently helped elevate every program he’s been part of as a head coach and assistant.”
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The Miami, Florida native, Lazo, began his coaching career in 2012 after a brief stint playing professionally in Puerto Rico. For five years, he coached John A. Ferguson Senior High School in his hometown. He guided them to two regional championships and state runner-up finishes, as well as a No. 2 overall Florida state ranking in Class 8A.
Sunshine State native coming home ☀️🌴
Welcome to UCF, @CoachGabeLazo pic.twitter.com/EoivmvZf93
— UCF Women’s Hoops (@UCF_WBB) April 4, 2026
He then moved on to spend five seasons as an assistant coach with FIU, Stony Brook, and George Washington. Then, Mississippi State came calling for an associate head coaching position, which was followed by two seasons at the University of Tennessee. Before arriving in Knoxville, he spent two seasons as associate head coach at Mississippi State, strengthening his profile as a recruiter and player-development assistant at the SEC level. He was supposed to move to coach under Mulkey at LSU, but it seems becoming head coach at UCF is a better proposition.
The UCF job was something Lazo had wanted for a long time because of his roots and connection to Florida. So when the job opened and the Knights called, he could not ignore it.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to be named the head coach at UCF,” Lazo said. “This is a special place with tremendous potential, and I’m grateful to President Alexander Cartwright, Terry Mohajir, Chris McFarlane, and the leadership at UCF for believing in me. As a Florida native, this opportunity means a great deal to me. I look forward to building meaningful relationships with our student-athletes, competing at a high level in the Big 12, and making Knight Nation proud.”
While it remains unclear what exactly happened between LSU and Lazo, coach Kim Mulkey was clearly happy for him. “I’m so happy for Gabe,” Mulkey told The Advocate in a phone interview on Saturday. “How could you not be happy for someone to be a head coach for the first time and to do it in his home state?” Mulkey will now need to fill the assistant coaching opening again during a critical transfer-portal window as LSU continues shaping its 2026–27 roster.
Lazo will replace Sytia Messer, who led the Knights for four seasons and was fired after an 11–19 season. Messer finished her tenure with a 49–69 overall record and did not post a winning season during her time in Orlando, prompting UCF to reset the program after four consecutive losing years. They have not reached the NCAA Tournament in the last four seasons, and Lazo will be tasked with getting them back to the big dance. Their squad has just two seniors leaving, so Lazo will have the option to opt for consistency or turnover.
His ability to recruit is one of his trademark characteristics, so it could be the latter. Mulkey herself previously described Lazo as having an “unbelievable ability to teach the game and recruit the best players in the country,” reinforcing why LSU initially targeted him for its staff. He was essential in recruiting two of the top classes at Tennessee. However, as he starts this new chapter with the Knights, there are some accusations against Lazo from his time at the Volunteers.
Gabe Lazo Accused of Undermining Kim Caldwell After Murky Exit
The situation in Tennessee is not the best, to say the least. They have lost 11 out of their 12 players either to graduation or to the transfer portal. Add to that that two coaches have moved on. Gabe Lazo resigned, while Roman Tubner was fired. There are calls to fire Kim Caldwell after the disastrous 2025–26 season. Amid these developments, a report surfaced indicating that one of Caldwell’s assistants had undermined her.
“One of Kim Caldwell’s assistants was undermining her the entire time. And that’s why the bottom fell out down the stretch, telling the kids,” Will West said on 99.1 The Sports Animal podcast. “I don’t have to listen to her, telling them not to do things she was instructing once she was not there.” He maintained that the accusation was not on Lazo specifically, but that he was one of the candidates. “I don’t know which assistant coach it was, but two of them are gone,” he said.
However, since then, multiple former Lady Vols have come out and refuted this report. “Coach Lazo and Coach Roman were the ones keeping us together! This is not true; they told us to trust the system, if anything,” Mia and Mya Pauldo wrote. Kiaya Wynn, Deniya Prawl, Alyssa Latham, Kaniya Boyd, and Janiah Barker have said similar things.
So, there are conflicting opinions, but it is a cloud following Lazo into his new start at UCF. It could also affect his relationship with the new program and the staff he hires there. Leaving Kim Mulkey’s staff within such a short time does not help. However, it’s unknown how Mulkey feels about that. But since the players he recruited have stood up for Lazo, it could also have a positive impact. Ultimately, there is little certainty about the internal politics. Still, the opportunity at UCF marks Lazo’s first college head-coaching role and a return to his home state, giving him a chance to shape a Big 12 program at a moment of transition for the Knights.
Written by
Edited by
Snigdhaa Jaiswal