UCF Coaching Staff Now Complete, Hires Army’s Special Teams Coordinator Jovan Dewitt

By  //  January 28, 2016

ABOVE VIDEO: UCF head coach takes time with Space Coast Daily to discuss his coaching journey, influential people and lays down his pitch to athletes in Florida. (Zach Clark, Space Coast Daily)

ORLANDO, FLORIDA – UCF head coach Scott Frost has completed his coaching staff as he has announced the addition of Jovan Dewitt to serve as the Knights’ linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. Dewitt ventures to Orlando after two years at Army West Point.

“I’m thrilled to have the final piece of the coaching staff in place. We have a group which has tremendous character and qualities that form an extremely well-rounded staff,” Frost said.

“Jovan has climbed the football coaching ladder, and is very experienced including being a defensive coordinator, a special teams coordinator and a recruiter in the state of Florida. He has a ton of intelligence and is a high character coach coming from Army.”

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With Dewitt joining the staff, all positions have now been assigned:

2016 UCF Football Coaching Staff
Scott Frost – Head Coach
Erik Chinander – Defensive Coordinator
Troy Walters – Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
Greg Austin – Offensive Line
Sean Beckton – Tight Ends/Recruiting Coordinator
Mike Dawson – Defensive Line
Jovan Dewitt – Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator
Travis Fisher – Defensive Backs
Ryan Held – Running Backs
Mario Verduzco – Quarterbacks

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Jovan Dewitt’s first coaching stop in the Sunshine State came with Florida Atlantic as the Owls’ linebackers coach from 2012-13. In his final year, he took over as defensive coordinator midway through the season, and FAU finished ranked 11th in the country in total defense. (Image for Space Coast Daily)

With Army, Dewitt was its special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach from 2014-15.

The Black Knights’ special teams units combined to block seven kicks in those two seasons, while punter Alex Tardieu followed up an impressive junior campaign by having just two touchbacks on 50 punts in 2015. He also landed 13 boots inside the 20 with four punts going at least 50 yards.

Dewitt’s first coaching stop in the Sunshine State came with Florida Atlantic as the Owls’ linebackers coach from 2012-13. In his final year, he took over as defensive coordinator midway through the season, and FAU finished ranked 11th in the country in total defense.

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The Owls also ranked second in passing defense and eighth in first downs defense.

The 2013 FAU squad posted a school record 32 sacks, and cornerback D’Joun Smith was third in the nation in interceptions and No. 2 in passes defended.

When Frost jumped from Northern Iowa’s defensive coordinator position to serve as Oregon’s wide receivers coach for the 2009 season, Dewitt took over as UNI’s defensive coordinator.

The Panthers reached the FCS playoffs in two of Dewitt’s three seasons, and they went 24-11 from 2009-11 highlighted by a No. 6 national ranking in 2011.

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At Northern Iowa, Dewitt coached LJ Fort who was a six-time All-American and the runner-up for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is given to the best defensive player at the FCS level. Fort was the Sporting News Player of the Year as well.

Dewitt entered the coaching ranks as a student assistant with the defensive line at his alma mater, Northern Michigan, in 1997. He then made two return stops in the Upper Peninsula with the Wildcats (2000-01 and 2004-05), while he also coached at Ft. Scott Community College (2002), Fairmont State (2003) and St. Norbert (2006-08).

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Receiving his bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics from Northern Michigan in 1999, Dewitt was a two-time All-American and the 1996 Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He was invited to the New Orleans Saints camp after graduation, and played three years in the Arena Football League with the Iowa Barnstormers, Orlando Predators and the Fargo Freeze.

A native of Milwaukee, Wis., Dewitt and his wife, Lisa, have two daughters, Maya and Kira, and a son, Jovan Jr.

Coaching Experience
1997 – Northern Michigan – Student Assistant/Defensive Line
2000-01 – Northern Michigan – Graduate Assistant/Running Backs/Academic Coordinator
2002 – Fort Scott Community College – Assistant Coach
2003 – Fairmont State – Assistant Coach/Special Teams
2004-05 – Northern Michigan – Defensive Coordinator
2006-08 – St. Norbert – Defensive Coordinator
2009-11 – Northern Iowa – Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2012-13 – Florida Atlantic –Linebackers/Interim Defensive Coordinator (2013)
2014-15 – Army – Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers

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Call 407-UCF-1000 or visit UCFKnights.com to get put in your deposits for head coach Scott Frost’s first season with the Knights.