Andrea AdelsonApr 5, 2026, 04:47 AM
Close ACC reporter.
Joined ESPN.com in 2010.
Graduate of the University of Florida.
Multiple Authors
UCF hired Gabe Lazo as its women’s basketball coach on Saturday to replace Sytia Messer, who was fired earlier this week after four straight losing seasons.
Five days ago, Lazo was hired as an assistant at LSU after spending the last two seasons as an assistant under Kim Caldwell at Tennessee.
A Miami native, this is Lazo’s first head coaching job, calling UCF “a special place with tremendous potential” in a statement Saturday.
“Gabe represents what we were looking for in the next leader of our women’s basketball program,” UCF athletic director Terry Mohajir said in a statement. “He’s a proven competitor at every level of the game, with deep Florida roots, an elite ability to connect with people, and a track record of developing student-athletes on and off the court. He has consistently helped elevated every program he’s been part of as a head coach and assistant.”
In four seasons with the Knights, Messer went 49-69 and never posted a winning record.