Sydnei McCaskill has been appointed as an assistant coach for the University of Central Florida (UCF) women’s basketball team, according to an April 15 announcement. The move comes as Gabe Lazo, recently named the program’s 14th head coach, continues to build his first-year staff.
McCaskill returns to her hometown of Orlando after serving as an assistant coach at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) since April 2025. Her addition is seen as part of a broader effort to usher in a new era for the Knights.
A veteran in the Atlantic Sun Conference, McCaskill spent two seasons at North Florida prior to her recent role at FGCU. During her time under first-year head coach Raina Harmon in the 2025-26 season, she helped develop one of the nation’s top-50 defenses and contributed to a WNIT appearance by allowing just 59.1 points per game. At North Florida, she played a key role in player development, including helping Alexa Washington earn ASUN All-Freshman honors and set a program record with ten three-pointers in one game.
McCaskill began her coaching career with FGCU from 2019-22 as video coordinator and director of operations under Karl Smesko. In that period, FGCU won four ASUN championships and made three NCAA tournament appearances. She later took on her first assistant coaching position at Marshall during the 2022-23 season before returning to North Florida.
As a player, McCaskill was known for consistency during what is described as a golden era for FGCU women’s basketball. She played two seasons there after transferring from Georgia and participated in both WNIT runner-up and NCAA tournament campaigns.
UCF Athletics describes itself as part of the Big 12 Conference with a mission focused on academic and athletic excellence while representing Orlando on national platforms.
