UCF to hire AJ Blazek as new offensive line coach

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UCF is expected to hire AJ Blazek as its new offensive line coach, according to a team source.

Blazek, 47, joins the team after spending last season at Wisconsin under coach Luke Fickell. Before that, he spent three years at Vanderbilt.

The Kansas native steps in to fill the role left by Shawn Clark, who tragically passed away in September due to a sudden medical issue.

Blazek made his mark as a two-year letter winner at Iowa, playing center under the esteemed coach Kirk Ferentz. He earned All-Big Ten honors in 2000 and served as a co-captain for the Hawkeyes during that memorable season.

His coaching journey began at Iowa, where he started as a student assistant before becoming a graduate assistant from 2001 to 2004. He then served as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Fort Hays State from 2005 to 2008, followed by a stint at Winona State in Minnesota from 2009 to 2012.

Blazek spent two seasons at Western Illinois from 2013 to 2015 before returning to the Big Ten to join Chris Ash’s staff from 2016 to 2018. He later moved to North Dakota State, where he played a key role in the Bisons’ national title win in 2019, coaching an offensive line that set a school record by rushing for 4,601 yards.

In 2021, he joined Vanderbilt under Clark Lea before heading to Wisconsin.

UCF finished in the top 70 in rushing offense last season, averaging 158 yards per game.

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

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