The Gridiron Journey of Ted Roof: From UCF to National Acclaim

Terrence "Ted" Roof Jr., born on December 11, 1963, is an American college football coach with a career spanning several decades. He is currently the defensive coordinator at Boston College. Most recently, he served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the UCF Knights. Previously, he held the same position at the University of Oklahoma. A former standout linebacker for Georgia Tech, Roof has made significant contributions to various college football programs.

Early Life and Playing Career

A native of Lawrenceville, Georgia, Roof graduated from Central Gwinnett High School. After graduating from Central Gwinnett High School, Roof went on to play football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 1982. He was a four-year letter winner and three-year starter at linebacker under head coach Bill Curry at Georgia Tech from 1982-85. He earned freshman All-America honors in 1982 and was a team captain and first-team All-ACC selection as a senior in 1985 when the Yellow Jackets went 9-2-1 and beat Michigan State in the All-American Bowl. He started his final three seasons and served as team captain while leading the Ramblin' Wreck's famed "Black Watch" defense as a senior. Their success fueled Georgia Tech's run to 9-2-1 in 1985, including a win over Michigan State in the All-American Bowl. Roof was honored as a member of the All-America team, was selected to the All-ACC first team, and was named the Defensive Player of the Year by the Atlanta Touchdown Club. He remains among the most prolific tacklers in program history, ranking second for most tackles in a game with 25 against Tennessee in 1985 and seventh on the all-time tackling list with 417.

Early Coaching Career

Following his graduation from Georgia Tech in 1986 and after a brief stint as a player with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Roof began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Curry at Alabama from 1987-88. After one season back at Georgia Tech as linebackers coach, Roof was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1999 and held that position for three years. After Steve Spurrier left Duke University in 1990, his successor, Barry Wilson, lured Roof to fill the position coaching outside linebackers on his staff. Roof left to serve as a defensive line coach, outside linebacker, and recruiting coordinator at University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass). Prior to moving to Atlanta, he was defensive coordinator at Western Carolina (1997) and Massachusetts (1995-96). He coached the defensive line at UMass (1994) and linebackers at Duke (1990-93) and West Georgia (1989).

Georgia Tech (1999-2001)

After one season back at Georgia Tech as linebackers coach, Roof was promoted to defensive coordinator prior to the 1999 season, serving in the role through 2001. During this period, his defenses helped Georgia Tech achieve a 25-22 record, including appearances in the 2000 Gator Bowl and 2001 Seattle Bowl. The 2000 unit ranked 12th nationally in scoring defense (16.5 points per game), contributing to an 8-5 finish and a share of the Big East title.

Duke Blue Devils

In 2002, Roof was named defensive coordinator at Duke. After the Blue Devils ranked 113th nationally in rushing defense in 2001, Roof’s unit led the ACC in the category in his first season with the program. Roof's instruction brought marked improvement to the Duke Blue Devils defense, which led the ACC in rushing defense after finishing ninth in the league the previous year. From 2001 to 2002, the Blue Devils moved from ninth to fifth in the ACC and from 113th to 58th nationally in total defense. They progressed in passing defense in the 2003 season, jumping to third-place in the ACC from ninth the previous year. When head coach Carl Franks was released midway through the 2003 season, Roof was promoted to interim head coach. The team finished the season by winning two of the last three games and Roof was subsequently hired as the 20th head coach at Duke on December 6, 2003. Ted Roof served as head coach at Duke University from 2003 to 2007, compiling an overall record of 6-45 (0-0 in bowl games).

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Minnesota Golden Gophers (2008)

The 2008 pre-season saw Roof in strong demand. While he had initially been hired on January 6, 2008, by the University of Louisville to work alongside Ron English and Ken Delgado on the defense, it was reported on February 21, 2008, that Roof would succeed Everett Withers as the defensive coordinator at the University of Minnesota. Under just one season of Roof's tutelage, the Gophers made tremendous improvements to give up 160 fewer passing yards per game and over 135 fewer total yards when compared to the previous year's 119th ranked defense. Besides the nation's worst total defense, Roof also inherited a squad which had ranked 115th in pass defense, 114th in rushing defense and 109th in scoring defense in 2007. Roof's defense made strides throughout the season and finished ranked in the top-25 in both sacks and tackles for loss after being ranked 103rd and 116th the previous season. Roof's defense created 31 turnovers, second most in the Big Ten and 11th nationally. They were seventh in the nation causing fumbles (16), fueling the team's 16th ranking in turnover margin. Overall, the scoring defense improved to 61st, rushing defense to 69th, total defense to 79th and pass defense to 93rd.

Auburn Tigers (2009-2011)

On January 6, 2009, Roof was hired as the defensive coordinator at Auburn University by first-year head coach Gene Chizik. Roof had just finished one season in a three-year contract at Minnesota reportedly worth $350,000 a year. His salary at Auburn was $370,000. Roof's defenses achieved notable success in 2010, anchoring Auburn's undefeated 12-0 regular season and SEC championship victory. The unit ranked No. 1 in the SEC in rushing defense, allowing just 109.1 yards per game on the ground, while also recording 35 sacks and 12 interceptions overall. This performance helped propel the Tigers to the 2011 BCS National Championship game appearance against Oregon, where Auburn finished 14-0 before the loss. He helped the Tigers finish 5th ranked defense and 12th in nation in scoring defense in 2010. Under Roof's guidance, Auburn developed several standout defensive players who transitioned to professional careers, including defensive tackle Nick Fairley, selected 13th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. Roof has been part of teams that combined for 13 bowl appearances, including a Bowl Championship Series national title run as Auburn’s defensive coordinator following the 2010 season. As Auburn’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, he helped guide the Tigers to at least seven wins in each of his three seasons, which included a 14-0 campaign and BCS National Championship in 2010. In the national title game, Auburn held Oregon to 19 points, which was 30 points below the Ducks’ season average.

First Stint at UCF (2011)

On December 8, 2011, Roof accepted the defensive coordinator position at the University of Central Florida following George O'Leary again. Ted Roof joined the University of Central Florida as defensive coordinator in December 2011 under head coach George O'Leary, tasked with revitalizing the Knights' defense as the program aimed to compete more effectively in Conference USA. His hiring followed a successful three-year run as Auburn's defensive coordinator (2009-2011), where his unit ranked among the nation's top defenses and contributed to the Tigers' undefeated 2010 season and BCS National Championship victory. However, he was only with the team for a few weeks before being hired at Penn State.

Penn State Nittany Lions (2012)

On January 10, 2012, Roof was hired by new head coach Bill O'Brien as defensive coordinator at Penn State. Due to the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, on July 24, 2012, the NCAA sanctioned Penn State with a four-year postseason ban, loss of 40 scholarships over a four-year period and allowed players to transfer without having to sit out a year. Despite the difficult conditions of the program, Roof led the defense to rank 2nd in the Big Ten Conference in scoring defense, led the league in sacks, ranked 1st in red-zone defense and 3rd in turnover margin. Roof's defensive scheme built on Penn State's "Linebacker U" tradition, promoting an aggressive, up-tempo approach that suited the unit's strengths. After the 2012 season, Roof departed Penn State in January 2013 to return to Georgia Tech as defensive coordinator, citing the need to be closer to his family, including his twin 14-year-old sons, T.D.

Second Stint at Georgia Tech (2013-2017)

From 2013-17, Roof served as defensive coordinator under head coach Paul Johnson at his alma mater, Georgia Tech. Ted Roof Returning To Georgia Tech As Defensive Coordinator. During the stint in Atlanta, the Yellow Jackets captured the 2014 Orange Bowl after winning the ACC Coastal Division title. Georgia Tech showed significant defensive improvement under Roof, ranking among the top-30 nationally in scoring defense and total defense in 2013. During Roof’s five seasons at Georgia Tech from 2013-17, a stretch that included an ACC Coastal Division title and Orange Bowl win in 2014, the Yellow Jackets made significant defensive improvement and ranked third behind Clemson and Virginia Tech in total defense in league play.

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NC State Wolfpack (2018)

Roof served as co-defensive coordinator at NC State in 2018 under head coach Dave Doeren, helping the Wolfpack to a 9-4 record and Gator Bowl appearance. Roof Joins Wolfpack Football Staff. Last season, NC State had top-20 national rankings in rushing defense (13th at 109.1 yards per game), sacks (16th), red zone defense (ninth with scores on 73.8 percent of trips inside the 20), red zone TD rate (eighth with touchdowns on only 45.25 percent of trips inside the 20) and third-down defense (19th) while building a 9-3 record that led to a Gator Bowl appearance. NC State ranked 29th nationally in rushing defense (131.5 ypg), 45th in scoring defense (24.9 ppg), 17th in third-down defense (33.3%), 19th in red-zone defense (76.7%) and 25th in quarterback sacks (35).

Appalachian State Mountaineers (2019)

Ted Roof joined Appalachian State University as defensive coordinator in December 2018, serving under head coach Eliah Drinkwitz for the 2019 season before Drinkwitz's departure to the University of Missouri following the regular season. Appalachian State head football coach Eliah Drinkwitz announced on Jan. In 2019, Roof joined Appalachian State University as their defensive coordinator. Appalachian State finished 13-1 ranked #18th winning the Sun Belt championship. Under Roof's guidance, the Mountaineers' defense ranked first in the Sun Belt Conference in opponent rushing yards per game at 136.1, contributing to a dominant 13-1 overall record, a 7-1 conference mark, and the program's second straight Sun Belt title. The unit helped secure a No. In 2019, Roof’s defense helped pave the way for Appalachian State’s sixth conference championship and fifth bowl victory in the past decade. The Mountaineers in 2019 ranked among the nation’s best in scoring defense (21; 20 points/game) and total defense (25; 336.1 yards/game). The unit also ranked ninth nationally in third-down defense (30.7%), 16th in interceptions (14) and 19th in sacks (36). Roof’s defense helped pave the way for Appalachian State’s sixth conference championship and fifth bowl victory in the past decade.

Vanderbilt Commodores (2020)

Prior to his season at Clemson, he was the defensive coordinator at Vanderbilt in 2020.

Clemson Tigers (2021)

Spent 2021 on Clemson’s staff as a defensive analyst.

Oklahoma Sooners (2022-2023)

On December 10, 2021, Roof was hired as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at the University of Oklahoma under head coach Brent Venables. Ted Roof joined the University of Oklahoma as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach on December 10, 2021, under head coach Brent Venables, marking his return to a Power Five program after stints at Appalachian State and Vanderbilt. The 2022 Oklahoma defense ranked 4th with tackles for loss and 7th nationally in defensive turnovers. In his first season in 2022, Roof's defense showed flashes of potential amid a transitional year for the Sooners, who finished 6-7 overall and 3-6 in the Big 12. Player development under Roof emphasized integrating transfers and developing young talent, including a family reunion with his son, T.D. In 2023, Roof's defense made significant strides, helping Oklahoma to a 10-3 record (7-2 Big 12) and a first-place tie in the conference. In the 2023 season, the Sooners ranked 3rd in defensive turnovers and 7th in tackles for losses in the FBS. In 2023, the Sooners ranked third nationally in takeaways per game (2.0), seventh in tackles for loss per game (7.54) and 14th in third down defense.

Second Stint at UCF (2024)

Ted Roof's second stint at UCF began with promise but ended abruptly. The 2024 season began promisingly for Roof's defense, as UCF opened with three non-conference victories while holding opponents to an average of 10 points per game-limiting New Hampshire to three points, Sam Houston State to 14, and North Carolina State to 13. However, performance declined sharply in Big 12 competition, contributing to a five-game losing streak that dropped the Knights to 3-5 overall. The defense allowed 30 or more points in four of five conference games, including 37 or more on three occasions, such as a 37-24 loss to then-No. On October 28, 2024, Malzahn announced Roof's firing amid the skid, with defensive line coach Tim Harris Jr. Following his dismissal, Roof filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against the UCF Athletics Association on January 25, 2025, alleging he was entitled to the remainder of his two-year contract's base salary ($400,000 for 2024 and $750,000 for 2025) after being terminated without cause. In March 2025, UCF rehired Roof as defensive coordinator, marking his third stint with the program.

Awards and Nominations

Ted Roof has been nominated for the Broyles Award, recognizing the nation's top assistant coach, on three occasions during his career as a defensive coordinator. His first nomination came in 2000 while at Georgia Tech, where his unit ranked 12th nationally in rushing defense. He received his second nomination in 2013 upon returning to Georgia Tech, following a season in which the Yellow Jackets' defense led the ACC in rushing yards allowed per game.

Coaching Style and Impact

Throughout his tenure as a defensive coordinator, Roof has been recognized for engineering aggressive, disciplined units that excel against the run, leading conference-leading rush defenses at three institutions. At Duke in 2002, his defense topped the ACC in rushing yards allowed, improving dramatically from 113th nationally the prior year. During the 2010 season at Auburn, Roof's group ranked No. 1 in the SEC in rushing defense (109.1 yards per game), contributing to the Tigers' undefeated regular season and BCS National Championship victory. Roof has coached 32 years at the collegiate level. From 2008-20, Roof’s defenses limited opponents to 110 or fewer rushing yards 57 times and posted a 48-9 record in such games.

Personal Life

A native of Lawrenceville, Georgia, Roof graduated from Central Gwinnett High School. Roof attended Central Gwinnett High School and earned his bachelor's degree in management from Georgia Tech in 1987. Roof is married to Pam Ash-Roof of Fayetteville, Georgia, and the couple have twin boys, Terrence Davis (T.D.) and Michael Edwin (Mic), born in October 1998. T.D. Player development under Roof emphasized integrating transfers and developing young talent, including a family reunion with his son, T.D.

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