UCF hires Wisconsin safeties coach Alex Grinch as its defensive coordinator

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Alex Grinch is a defensive coordinator again as he joins new UCF coach Scott Frost’s staff after spending this season coaching Wisconsin’s safeties.

UCF announced the hire of Grinch on Tuesday.

Grinch previously worked as a defensive coordinator at Washington State (2015-17), Oklahoma (2019-21) and Southern California (2022-23). Grinch was a safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State in 2018, and he also had the co-defensive coordinator title at Wisconsin this year.

He was a semifinalist for the Broyles Award given to college football’s to assistant coach in 2017 at Washington State and in 2019 at Oklahoma before his stock fell during his disappointing stint at USC.

USC fired Grinch with two games remaining in the 2023 regular season, one day after a 52-42 loss to Washington in which the Trojans allowed 572 yards.

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