UCF hires Mohajir away from Arkansas State to be next AD

Published Feb. 9, 2021 2:13 p.m. ET

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Central Florida on Tuesday hired Terry Mohajir away from Arkansas State to be its next athletic director.

Mohajir was AD at Arkansas State since 2012, overseeing one of the top football programs in the Sun Belt Conference and the funding of facility upgrades.

He replaces Danny White, who left to become athletic director at Tennessee and ended up taking UCF football coach Josh Heupel with him to Knoxville. Mohajir's first job will be to hire Heupel's replacement to lead a football program that has been one of the best in the American Athletic Conference.

“I'm excited for the opportunity to build on the tremendous momentum UCF's talented student-athletes, coaches and staff have established with the enthusiastic support of Knight Nation and so many generous donors,” Mohajir said in a statement.

Mohajir hired two successful coaches during his tenure at Arkansas State, first bringing in Bryan Harsin and then Blake Anderson.

Anderson left for Utah State after this past season and former Tennessee coach Butch Jones was hired by Mohajir at Arkansas State to replace him in December.

Arkansas State won four Sun Belt football championships among its 25 conference titles in all sports during Mohajir's tenure and made more than $90 million in facilities improvements.

A former Arkansas State football player and assistant coach at Kansas, Mohajir is currently serving a stint as a member of the College Football Playoff selection committee.