Former Lady Vols assistant coach Gabe Lazo will be the next head coach at UCF, the school announced on Saturday. Lazo just completed his second year as an assistant coach at Tennessee, but resigned last Friday. He took an assistant coaching job at LSU before being tabbed as the Knights’ new head coach.
“Gabe represents what we were looking for in the next leader of our women’s basketball program,” UCF Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir said. “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 elevated every program he’s been part of as a head coach and assistant. His vision for UCF, his love for the state, combined with his energy and ability to connect, make him the right leader at the right time in today’s college landscape. We’re confident he will build a program capable of competing for Big 12 championships while developing young women to succeed long after their playing careers.”
Sunshine State native coming home ☀️🌴
Welcome to UCF, @CoachGabeLazo pic.twitter.com/EoivmvZf93
— UCF Women’s Hoops (@UCF_WBB) April 4, 2026
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UT has since hired Bill Ferrara, Florida State’s associate head coach, as Lazo’s replacement. The Lady Vols also parted ways with assistant coach Roman Tubner, with his replacement yet to be named.
Lazo was the primary recruiter for all five high school signees and three transfer portal prospects that Tennessee signed last cycle. He was also the primary recruiter for UT’s pair of high school signees in the 2026 class, Oliviyah Edwards and Gabby Minus.
While Lazo has proven to be an elite recruiter, he prides himself on much more than just that. He also played a hand in the scouting that goes into preparing for games.
