Anthony Kincy needed to tell his family the important news.
He quickly spoke with his parents, two sisters, and brother over group chat before gathering everyone on FaceTime and announcing his return to Florida.
He would take over as UCF’s director of football strength and conditioning in a few weeks.
Kincy recently told the Orlando Sentinel, “They were excited.” “Going home is a special feeling.”
Kincy is back in the Sunshine State and reunited with his former coach, Gus Malzahn, after having resided in Tennessee, Alabama, and Arkansas.
His St. Petersburg-based parents, Alex and Alfredia, are moving to be nearer to their son and grandchild. While Kincy’s two sisters reside in Dallas, his twin brother resides in Portland, Oregon.
Kincy jokingly said, “I think they were more excited that their first grandson is coming closer to home.”
The Kincy family has always placed a high value on sports.
While his sisters played soccer and track, Anthony and his brother Aaron played football among other sports. Both of his parents participated in sports; Alex, the father, was a football player at a minor Iowan college.
However, Anthony’s football career wasn’t easy to follow.
In his final year of high school, he fractured his hand and ended up attending Butte institution, a junior institution in California. Before moving to Arkansas State, the 6-foot, 232-pound tight end with the Roadrunners was named to the all-conference team.
It was during Kincy’s 2012 hiring at Arkansas State that he first met Malzahn.
The incoming senior played halfback and tight end for the Red Wolves last season under head coach Hugh Freeze, who departed to become Ole Miss’ head coach. That made it possible for Malzahn, who had served as Auburn’s offensive coordinator for the previous two seasons, to be hired by Terry Mohajir, the new athletic director.
Coach Malzahn was a blessing for us, according to Kincy. “He simply brought that mindset akin to the SEC.” His actions altered Arkansas State’s course.
In his last season, Kincy ended with 11 receptions for 98 yards and a score.
After leading Arkansas State to a 9-3 record, Malzahn departed to take a position as the Tigers’ new head coach at Auburn.
Kincy had no idea what lay ahead.
But a conversation with Ryan Russell, his strength and conditioning coach, would set him on the present course of his career.
“Kincy, what are your plans after graduation?” he said. Kincy remembered. “I want to play in the NFL and prepare for Pro Day.” “What do you want to do if the NFL doesn’t fall into your plate?” he said.
Kincy said he would probably return home, follow in his father’s footsteps, and become a fireman. Alex Kincy has spent more than three decades as a firefighter for St. Petersburg.
Russell, who was joining Malzahn’s new coaching staff at Auburn, had other plans.
“What do you think about joining me as a GA [graduate assistant]? Coach Malzahn just offered me the head strength coach job at Auburn and I would love for you to be a part of that program,” Kincy said.
Kincy had not considered a career as a strength coach, but Russell’s impact on his life and the lives of others made the decision easy.
“If I could have the same impact on 18 to 22-year-olds as he did,” he declared.
Over the course of the following eight years at Auburn, Kincy advanced to the position of assistant strength coach. Malzahn was hired by the University of Tennessee after leaving at the conclusion of the 2020 campaign.
“They let go of Coach [Jeremy] Pruitt the day I was hired,” Kincy remarked. And I was considering my next course of action. However, things worked out because Josh Heupel, the new coach, told me during our meeting that he would love to have you join our strength staff.
But Kincy never stopped communicating with Malzahn, often via text messaging.
Eventually, as Tennessee got ready to play Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day, the two would reunite in person while Kincy was in town. Nicholson Fieldhouse at UCF was being used by the Volunteers as a practice area.
“I see all your other strength coaches here,” he said over the phone as I was on the bus to practice. How are you doing? said Kincy. He asked me how I was doing as soon as I arrived after I told him I was on my way. He merely wanted to see how I was doing. We had not seen each other since Auburn.
After the bowl season, the two would exchange phone calls until Malzahn made an offer.
Without a question, he’s a rising star, according to Malzahn. He performed for me, and I could see he was different from a lot of the other guys. He knows our ideology and what I expect of him. We’re all in agreement.
Kincy has been in Orlando for about ten weeks, and although at first he found everything a little overwhelming, he has adjusted rather quickly. Kincy set about introducing himself and his beliefs to the players after assembling his staff.