‘A Lot Happier’ at UCF: Frost Moves On from Nebraska Chapter

Scott Frost returned to UCF this offseason, stepping back into the spotlight at Big 12 Media Days with a clear message: he’s focused on the future, not the past. The former UCF head coach, who led the Knights to a 13-0 season in 2017, is back in Orlando after a rocky run at Nebraska — a job he now admits he never truly wanted.

“I really want to keep it about UCF,” Frost said. Just a few hours after telling a reporter from The Athletic that he never wanted to take the Nebraska job in the first place coming off a 13-0 season in 2017 that sparked debate about whether the Knights should have had a chance to play for the national championship in the four-team playoff.

“I said I wouldn’t leave unless it was someplace you could win a national championship,” Frost told The Athletic. “I got tugged in a direction to try to help my alma mater and didn’t really want to do it. It wasn’t a good move. I’m lucky to get back to a place where I was a lot happier.”

When asked what lesson he took from his time at Nebraska, Frost kept it simple: “Don’t take the wrong job.”

Tough Lessons, New Opportunity

The tone changed when Frost met with a wider group of reporters. He emphasized his excitement for this new chapter with UCF and in the Big 12 Conference.

“When you go through something that doesn’t work, just ready for another chance, and I’m ready for another chance,” he said. “This is about the Big 12. This is about UCF. Everybody has success in life and has failures in life, for all sorts of different reasons. I’m excited to get back in a place where my family and I get treated well.”

Frost became a star at UCF for turning around a winless team. In just two seasons, he took the Knights from 0-12 to 13-0, including a Peach Bowl win over Auburn that capped an undefeated 2017 campaign. That success led to his hire at Nebraska, where expectations were sky-high for the former national championship-winning quarterback.

From Lincoln to Los Angeles to Orlando

But things didn’t go as planned in Lincoln. Frost was fired three games into his fifth season, finishing with a 16-31 record. After some time away from coaching — including a year with the Los Angeles Rams under Sean McVay — Frost is back where it all started.

“I really enjoyed two years off,” he said. “Well, I got to spend a whole year with Ashley and the [three] kids, and I’ll never get that time back. I played more catch with my son and touch football in the yard with him and going to little league and seeing my daughter do gymnastics. And then some time out in L.A. really, really helped reset me, too.”

Not Dwelling on the Past — But Not Ignoring It Either

Frost’s return to UCF has been filled with familiar energy. During media days, he delayed a scheduled roundtable to take pictures with the players he brought to the event.

“Yeah, being around the guys,” Frost said. “I’m sorry, I’d rather be around the guys than you guys.”

He occasionally reflects on the 2017 season with his current team — not to relive the past, but to pass on lessons.

“We talk to them about all those things,” he said. “What happened in 2017 is at times relevant, but this is a new team. So we only point those things out, not to live in the past, but just to help them with any lessons that we want to learn.”

As for what he learned from his time at Nebraska? That part remains private — at least for now.

This report used information from ESPN.