Beckton to coach wide receivers

ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF football head coach George O'Leary announced Thursday that assistant coach Sean Beckton will take over the Knights' wide receivers next season. In charge of the defensive backs from 2009-11, Beckton previously served as UCF's wide receivers coach from 1996-03.

Having completed his 11th overall season on the coaching staff in 2011, Beckton was inducted into the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000. As a Knight, he recorded 196 receptions (third all-time at UCF) and 2,493 yards (fourth all-time) from 1987-90, and had a school-record streak of 42-straight games where he posted a reception.

Beckton returned to UCF as an offensive graduate assistant, and graduated in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in liberal studies with a minor in physical education.

While serving as the wide receivers coach from 1996-03, Beckton mentored some of UCF's all-time greats in Mike Sims-Walker, Brandon Marshall, Jimmy Fryzel, Doug Gabriel and Siaha Burley.

Following a season with the Arena Football League's Orlando Predators in 2008, Beckton rejoined the UCF staff as the defensive backs coach in 2009. That was the first year where current Knights Kemal Ishmael, Josh Robinson and A.J. Bouye came to UCF as true freshmen and have combined for 80 starts from 2009-11. In 2010, Ishmael and Robinson were both voted onto the All-Conference USA First Team. This past season, UCF used a pair of freshmen in the secondary as Clayton Geathers (67) and Brandon Alexander (43) each had at least 43 tackles.