By: Kevin Ruane
Paul Ferraro was hired by head coach George O’Leary in December to replace last year’s coordinator Jim Fleming after he agreed to take over as head coach at Rhode Island. Ferraro unexpectedly announced his departure due to “personal reasons”. Tyson Summers, who called plays for the defense in the Fiesta Bowl, will resume his duties Wednesday, Mar. 12 when spring practice kicks off.
Summers was the linebackers’ coach last year and impressed many in the Fiesta Bowl. He helped make Baylor’s star studded offense look like just another team after much criticism about UCF’s defense leading up to the game. Summers is also known as a superb recruiter helping sign seven recruits from his area this past year.
Ferraro, who was defensive coordinator for Maine last year, didn’t get to coach a single game or even a practice for UCF. He observed Summers during the Fiesta Bowl and the practices leading up to it.
Luckily, Summers knows the defense and the players better than Ferraro at this point. The players will be comfortable with the adjustment since practice hasn’t even started yet. Summers, at 33 years old, has a lot of potential to really help and push a defense that is going to have to step up without former stars Blake Bortles and Storm Johnson fueling the offense in 2014.
