Everybody wins the introductory press conference. Even the milk toast guys like Josh Heupel win the introductory press conference, but Gus Malzahn did more than that with his introduction to the UCF fan base. He gave UCF the respect that fans and players have craved for years.
For years, UCF has been the little brother trying to get into the party and always being told "no, you aren't good enough," but Gus Malzahn didn't say that. He said that this is "top 20 coaching job" and that he is here "to get this program to the next level." What is that next level?
The College Football Playoff.
He said over and over about his want to break the cycle of the Power Five having all of the power. He believes that he is the guy that will do that. This didn't feel like just blowing smoke to get the fan base on his side. Because it came from a guy who came from the SEC, was in the national championship game as a head coach, and played UCF when they were at their best, his words had gravitas. They had weight behind them which is more than we can say about any introductory press conference at UCF ever.