Historic hire: UCF hires Lazo as first Hispanic coach at a Power 4 school
Gabriel Lazo has made a large and historic leap.
Lazo, a 41-year-old Miami native, was recently named head women’s basketball coach at UCF. A Cuban-American, Lazo thus becomes the first person of Hispanic ancestry to become a head women’s basketball coach at a Power 4 conference school.
“I’m grateful,” Lazo told the Herald on Friday. “Having the opportunity to lead is a privilege. This is an unbelievable opportunity.”
Lazo, who played for Miami High, FIU and Barry University, said he was grateful that his mother, Adela Aguiar, 73, was able to attend his opening news conference at UCF.
“We almost lost her four years ago [due to health reasons],” Lazo said.
For Lazo, this is a promotion 19 years in the making. That’s how long he has been coaching, including five seasons as the head man at Miami’s Ferguson High.
From there, in order, Lazo served as assistant coach at FIU: Stony Brook; George Washington; Mississippi State; and Tennessee.
Then, on March 31, Lazo was hired as an assistant to famed LSU coach Kim Mulkey. However, four days later, it was announced that Lazo was leaving LSU to become the coach at UCF.
“It was hard [to leave LSU] because of the timing,” Lazo said. “But it had always been my dream to become a college head coach, and [Mulkey] was super supportive.”
With the Knights, Lazo has quickly put together his staff, including Lynn Bria.
“It was important for me to hire someone with head-coaching experience,” Lazo said of Bria. “Not only is this my first college head coaching job, but it’s also my first college head coaching job at a Power 4 school.
“I don’t have an ego. I know I will need help.”
Bria has been coaching for 37 years. She spent 31 years as a head coach, including 18 at Stetson, seven at Ohio and three each at UCF and Texas Western. She has a career head-coaching record of 471 465.
Lazo also hired Bett Shelby and Sydnei McCaskill as assistant coaches.
Shelby, who is from Charlotte, North Carolina, has been coaching since 2006 and is an ace recruiter with contacts all over the country. McCaskill, who is from Orlando, has been an assistant coach for four years, mostly in Florida.
Together with his staff, Lazo has already signed seven new players in an attempt to rebuild UCF’s roster.
Lazo said Jose Fernandez has been a mentor to him. Fernandez, who is also Cuban-American, served as the head coach at USF for 25 years. Then, in October, he was hired as coach of the WNBA’s Dallas Wings.
“He is the godfather of Hispanic women’s basketball coaches,” Lazo said. “I want to inspire young coaches like he inspired me.”
THIS AND THAT
▪ The recently concluded WNBA Draft featured two players with Miami ties — Gabriela Jaquez and Ta’Niya Latson.
Jaquez, a 6-foot wing, is the sister of Heat player Jaime Jaquez Jr. She won a national title with UCLA and was picked fifth overall by the Chicago Sky. Jaquez scored a team-high 21 points in the NCAA title game, and now she joins Skylar Diggins in Chicago.
Latson, a Miami native, played in the national title game for South Carolina and was a second-round pick, No. 20 overall, as selected by the Los Angeles Sparks.
A 5-8 guard, Latson was the nation’s leading scorer (25.2) as a junior at Florida State before transferring to South Carolina, where she averaged 14.1 points on a loaded team. Latson is regarded as an elite finisher at the rim, and she will now join four-time All-Star Kelsey Plum in L.A.
This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 7:30 AM.
