Former UCF and Florida State quarterback McKenzie Milton is reuniting with Tennessee coach Josh Heupel as an offensive analyst, the school announced Thursday, serving as a starting point for Milton's coaching career after he retired from playing in June 2022. Heupel previously coached Milton at UCF from 2018-20.
"I couldn't be more excited about starting my coaching career at Tennessee and reuniting with Coach Heupel," Milton said in a statement. "I am grateful to Coach Heupel and Director of Athletics Danny White for giving me this opportunity. Their leadership makes a difference. I look forward to helping the program in any way I can."
Milton amassed a 27-6 record as UCF's starting quarterback and was a key figure on the Golden Knights' undefeated 2017 team. He retained his starting role when Heupel was named coach of the Knights in 2018, but he suffered a devastating leg injury on the tail-end that season that kept him sidelined for two years. He was still named the 2018 AAC Offensive Player of the Year, and Heupel went on to lead UCF to an AAC championship and an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl.
"McKenzie represents everything that is great about college football," Heupel said. "His perseverance, determination and leadership are attributes that made him successful as a player and will no doubt translate to him being an outstanding future coach. He's always been a student of the game and understands the why behind what we do. We are thrilled to welcome McKenzie, Jany and Madden to Rocky Top."
Milton graduated from UCF in 2020 and transferred to Florida State, where he made his return to the field in the 2021 season opener against Notre Dame. He appeared in six games with four starts during his one year with the Seminoles.
