Griffin coach Kareem Reid joins Gus Malzahn at Central Florida

Central Florida helmets sit next to the bench during game against Navy Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, in Orlando, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Central Florida helmets sit next to the bench during game against Navy Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, in Orlando, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)

Gus Malzahn is adding to his staff at Central Florida with a Georgia high school coach.

Kareem Reid, head coach the past two seasons at Griffin, announced late Monday that he’ll be on Central Florida’s staff, marking a return to his alma mater. Reid is a former defensive lineman for the Bulls.

Reid told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he’ll be Central Florida’s assistant director of recruiting.

’'The chance to work with Coach Malzahn and do it at my alma mater was too good of an opportunity to pass up,’' Reid said.

Kareem Reid led Griffin to the Class 5A quarterfinals in 2019. A Florida native, Reid led Westlake to three region titles in three seasons.

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Reid coached in Georgia for five seasons and compiled a 45-17 record. He won three region titles at Westlake (2016-18), then led Griffin to the Class 5A quarterfinals in 2019. Reid previously was head coach at Coconut Creek in Florida. His teams there were 16-14 without a losing season at a program that had gone 1-19 over the previous two campaigns.

Reid is the latest among several Georgia high school coaches who have moved to college football in recent years.

Others include Cedar Grove’s Jimmy Smith, the running backs coach at Arkansas; Buford’s Jess Simpson, defensive line coach at Miami; Grayson’s Mickey Conn, special teams coordinator and safeties coach at Clemson; and Carver-Columbus’s Dell McGee, assistant head coach and running backs coach at Georgia. Former Cartersville coach Joey King spent the past two seasons on college staffs but returned this year to coach Carrollton.

Malzahn, named last month as Central Florida’s coach, was himself a high school coach the first 15 years of his coaching career in Arkansas. He was Auburn’s head coach from 2013 to 2020.