Is Johnny Dawkins building the next Big 12 powerhouse? Master P visits UCF as rumors swirl

Is Johnny Dawkins building the next Big 12 powerhouse? Master P visits UCF as rumors swirl originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Johnny Dawkins has spent the last ten years as head coach of the UCF Knights basketball program and his hard work is starting to pay off. After back-to-back 20-win seasons in Orlando, which included an NCAA Tournament appearance last season, the encore might be sweeter to watch.AdvertisementAs the transfer portal heats up across the country, there was one visit to UCF's campus this past week that was noteworthy. However, it wasn't a player checking out what's next for the Knights. Percy 'Master P' Miller reportedly took in the sights and sounds of O-Town during the open window. He wasn't there to accompany anyone, which adds speculation to why he was there?The Grammy Award-winning artist who made his name in hip-hop in the midst of an NBA career in the 90s is the director of basketball operations and an assistant coach for the University of New Orleans. Miller is leaving the post in his hometown on July 1st after the school is being moved under the LSU system. Which begs the question: Was Coach P looking to see where he could fit in or just gathering ideas?Miller took on the position at UNO in the wake of a point-shaving scandal and showed immediate results with a roster of handpicked talent. The Privateers nearly quadrupled the win total from the 2024-25 season, including a win over TCU in the opener.AdvertisementAs for UCF, there might be a need for someone like Miller to guide the program into the depths of the NIL era. Outside his successful career as a musician, he's deeply immersed as an entrepreneur in multiple business ventures. With athletic programs now being used as big-time marketing arms of most Power Four universities, some unconventional methods need to be applied. Miller's business and marketing sense mixed with Dawkins' coaching ability would put UCF on the map in the Big 12.More:What $1 million will buy in today's college basketball NIL marketIf that's the case, it might be perfect timing as well. Chris Wash resigned from his role as UCF basketball's general manager and special assistant to Dawkins back in January. Miller might be looking for his next move. We'll see if that's the case or not. Regardless, this is an interesting bit of news from Orlando.More college basketball news: