Oct 21, 2017; Annapolis, MD, USA; UCF Knights head coach Scott Frost looks onto the field during the second quarter against the Navy Midshipmen at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Scott Frost, a former Nebraska quarterback who coached Central Florida to a 12-0 record and an American Athletic Conference championship, will be Nebraska’s new head coach, the school announced Saturday.
The announcement came a few minutes after No. 14 Central Florida completed a 62-55, double-overtime victory over No. 20 Memphis in the AAC title game.
Frost agreed to a seven-year, $35 million contract, according to the Omaha World-Herald, and that would make him the highest paid Cornhuskers coach in history and one of the nation’s top 15 highest-paid college football coaches.
Frost, 42, took over a UCF team that went winless in 2015, the year before he arrived, and moved it into national prominence. The Knights are expected to get a berth in one of the six major bowls as a result.
“It is a great honor and privilege to have the opportunity to return to Nebraska and to lead the Husker football program,” Frost said in a press release.
“I have been fortunate to be at a wonderful school the last two years, but Nebraska is a special place with a storied tradition and a fan base which is second to none. I am truly humbled to be here. The state of Nebraska and the Husker program mean a great deal to me. This is home.
“I am appreciative of the confidence Bill Moos and our University leadership have in me to lead this program. I would not have the opportunity to be in this position without a lot of great people who have helped me throughout my career. Specifically, I would like to thank Coach Osborne who has played such an integral role in my life over the past two decades, both on and off the field. Go Big Red!”
Nebraska will hold an introductory press conference at noon Sunday, but the hiring of Frost had been rumored for several days.
Nebraska graduate assistants and administrators had called recruits earlier in the week to tell them that Frost would be the coach, according to the World-Herald.
Scott will be replacing Mike Riley, who was fired as the Cornhuskers’ head coach following a 4-8 season, including 3-6 in the Big Ten.
Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos issued a statement, which read, “I am thrilled that Scott is returning to his alma mater to lead the Husker football program. I truly believe that we have hired the premier young coach in the country and that exciting times lie ahead.”
The World-Herald reported that several of Frost’s assistants at UCF are likely to join Frost’s staff, including defensive coordinator Erik Chinander.
As a player, Frost transferred to Nebraska after playing two years at Stanford. He served as a scout team quarterback on the Cornhuskers’ 1995 national title team.
He later started 26 games for Nebraska and won 24 of them. Frost had 1,096 rushing yards and 1,237 passing yards in his senior year. Nebraska won the Big 12 title and later the Orange Bowl 42-17 over Tennessee that season. The Cornhuskers ended up No. 1 in coaches poll and shared a national championship with Michigan.
Frost spent seven years as an assistant at Oregon, most of them under Chip Kelly, who recently became UCLA’s head coach. Frost was the Ducks’ offensive coordinator in his final three seasons there before taking the UCF job in 2016.
Offensive coordinator Troy Walters will serve as UCF’s interim head coach.
