FGCU Volleyball has to look for a new coach. After 11 seasons in the nest, Matt Botsford is leaving to become the new head coach at the University of Central Florida.
"We are grateful to Matt for his service to FGCU and we are proud of his many accomplishments," said FGCU director of athletics Colin Hargis said in a school-issued statement. "His values, passion and energy have positively impacted everyone at FGCU and the Southwest Florida community. We wish him and his family the best as he takes the next steps in his career."
Botsford is the greatest head coach in FGCU Volleyball history. Since taking over the program in 2014, the Eagles won eleven combined ASUN championships with six regular season titles and five tournament trophies. With those championships came five NCAA Tournament appearances for Botsford-led teams.
Botsford was also named the ASUN Coach of the Year three times and most recently earned the AVCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year award in 2024.
Under his leadership, four FGCU players earned All-American honors and 12 were named to the All-Region teams. Within the conference, he produced seven ASUN Player of the Year winners and 42 All-Conference selections.
As a team, FGCU was virtually unstoppable with Botsford on the sideline. The Eagles compiled a 139-25 record against ASUN opponents during his tenure. Plus, Botsford holds the ninth highest winning percentage among all active Division I head coaches in the entire NCAA.
Most recently, Botsford led FGCU to a 27-5 overall and 15-1 conference record in 2024. The Eagles were both the ASUN regular season champions and tournament champs.
Botsford now takes over a UCF program that just went 9-18 -- its first losing season since 2015.
“The opportunity to lead UCF volleyball is a tremendous honor and I would like to thank President Cartwright and Terry Mohajir for entrusting me with the task,” Botsford said in a statement to UCF. “Their vision for the future is exciting and I am looking forward to getting started and contributing to that journey. UCF is a premier institution in a premier location with an athletic department committed to excelling at the highest level. I believe that combination positions us for success and opens up endless possibilities for what we can accomplish here.”
The Knights have struggled a bit since joining the Big 12 two years ago. They fired head coach Jenny Maurer in early December. However, UCF has a rich volleyball past that includes 12 NCAA Tournament appearances.
NBC2 will continue to update this story as we learn more.