by ORLANDO — Like most football coaches in the ever-changing world of college athletics, Gus Malzahn is beset by a variety of issues.
Lists have never been so unstable. The name, image, and likeness, combined with the transfer portal, led to a free agency-like trend. He fights to retain his own players who are recruited by power programs, while recruiting the next signature class and exploring the portal himself. The recruiting process has accelerated like never before, social media is changing the way players communicate, and bidding wars for prospects are now legal.
But as Malzahn sits in his office on the UCF campus two days before the Knights’ second game of the spring, his mind wanders back to his personal life. After what he and his family have been through for the past six months, the stretch has shown the 56-year-old former Auburn coach some perspective.
In October, Malzahn’s youngest daughter, Kenzie Stander, spent two weeks in hospital with postnatal complications. A month later, Malzahn broke his leg on the sidelines and used crutches for six weeks. In January, as the family recovered from their second bout with COVID-19, Malzahn’s wife, Kristi, developed a viral infection that included a three-week hospital stay and five days on a ventilator. “I almost lost her,” he said.
And then, recently, Kristi’s father passed away. While returning to Auburn to care for Kristi’s elderly mother, the Malzahns were involved in an accident in which a motorcyclist had to be airlifted to a medical facility. The man should survive. Gus was unhurt. A full incident report has not been released, but the school declined to comment further and Malzahn did not speak specifically about the accident.
“It was one of the hardest parts of my life,” Malzahn says. “Whenever you go through something like this… there’s nothing more important than your wife and kids. I am one of those extreme footballers [guys], working people. I had no balance.
He says the toughest time was from mid-January until signing day, when Gus disappeared from the UCF football facility. It was for good reason. His 34-year-old wife was battling a mysterious infection that started on her finger and worked its way into her bloodstream. This resulted in dehydration and fever. Gus took her to the emergency room. She was admitted and then spent two weeks in intensive care, including five days on a ventilator.
“There was a window of four or five days where it didn’t look good at all,” he says.
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His immune system was already compromised, Gus says, due to various things. She spent much of the fall caring for her sick father and Kenzie. This followed a January bout with COVID-19. It was the “perfect storm,” he says.
“It was a really tough case,” he adds. “When I experienced that with Kristi, it completely changed my perspective. This football is important, but it’s not in the same atmosphere as what my wife experienced. I hope to be a better person and a better leader in the future and a better head coach.
More than two months later, Kristi is fully recovered. The Malzahns are in good health and both chair the UCF football program.
“Me and Kristi, we do this football thing together,” Malzahn says. “This year, she was only able to come to three games. It was hard for me. She had to take care of her father. She’s a team mom. She is a God-fearing woman. She’s very well. Whenever you go through something like this, your family is what you focus on. She does that.
Kenzie is also fully recovered after spending two weeks in a Birmingham hospital following complications after giving birth to a son in October. She was taken to the hospital while UCF played in Cincinnati. Gus flew straight from the game in Birmingham. About three weeks later, he was tackled on a play in a win over Tulane. After a defensive save, defensive back Quadric Bullard collided with Malzahn. He is fine now, without crutches and walking around as if nothing had happened.
So what’s the next step? Soccer. UCF’s spring game kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, and the Knights will sport a new look at the deal with NIL-inspired jerseys.
Malzahn hopes the most difficult period of his life is over. No more hiccups. More traumatic events. Just football and family.
“It was a really tough time,” he says. “Lots of big prayers. When you go through major adversity, you find there’s so much outpouring from fans, ex-players, everyone.
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