Mike Buscemi Position: Special Teams/Tight Ends Coach Experience: First Year at UCF

Mike Buscemi travels back to Orlando in 2013 following one season as a defensive graduate assistant at Pittsburgh. He first joined the UCF football program as a walk-on in 2004, and quickly evolved into one of the most reliable long snappers in school history. He snapped on punts in 2005 before being responsible for all snapping duties in 2006 and 2007. During that 2006 campaign, he was voted on to the All-Conference USA Second Team before climbing even higher to the first team in 2007.

After his collegiate career, the native of Plantation, Fla., stayed on with the Knights as an offensive graduate assistant from 2008-09. Buscemi then transitioned to North Carolina where he was a quality control assistant from 2010-11.

While at Pittsburgh in 2012, Buscemi helped the Panthers rank 17th in the nation in total defense, 23rd in scoring defense, 20th in passing defense and 31st in rushing defense.

Combining his playing career with his coaching experience, Buscemi has helped guide his teams to six bowl games in the last eight seasons, including three with UCF (2005 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, 2007 AutoZone Liberty Bowl, 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl). He also assisted UNC in reaching the 2010 Music City Bowl and the 2011 Independence Bowl, while Pittsburgh is currently preparing for the BBVA Compass Bowl.

A graduate of Western High School in Davie, Fla., Buscemi was coached by his father Ray Buscemi (defensive coordinator) en route to all-state third-team honors. He boasts two degrees from UCF as he earned his undergraduate degree in criminal justice in Dec. 2006 and his master's degree in sports and fitness in May 2008.

UCF now has three alumni on its coaching staff. Buscemi joins wide receivers coach Sean Beckton (1993) and defensive backs coach Kirk Callahan (2008), with Buscemi and Callahan serving as teammates with the Knights from 2005-06.

Buscemi at a Glance
Hometown - Plantation, Fla.
College - UCF (B.S. 2006)
Playing Experience - UCF, LS 2004-07
Coaching Experience:
2012 - Pittsburgh - Defensive Graduate Assistant
2010-11 - North Carolina - Quality Control Assistant
2008-09 - UCF - Offensive Graduate Assistant