Scott Frost, Rich Rod, and More: Possible Head Coach Candidates for UCF

Scott Frost

Senior Analyst, Los Angeles Rams

UCF fans are pining for the Frost offenses that put up 40 points weekly and were an offensive show. He also showed contrition and heartache when leaving for Nebraska, which realistically he could never have passed up. There aren’t any hard feelings and bringing him back could be something both sides discuss. He was head coach here for two seasons, going 13-0 in the second one, famously promising to stay on through the bowl game and finish the season. He was less successful at Nebraska, going 16-31 and 5-22 in single-score games over five seasons.

Will Stein

Oregon, Offensive Coordinator

The Ducks sit undefeated and the reputation for Stein is there. He is seen as a riser and a soon-to-be head coach. Prior to Oregon he was the OC at UTSA where Jeff Traylor had his best seasons. It would not be surprising to see the 35-year-old Stein get a head coaching job elsewhere this offseason, especially if Oregon makes a run in the playoffs. If Dan Lanning leaves for the NFL he has a good shot to be the in-house replacement. This job, with UCF now being a P4 school, would be a good first head job for him.

Jamey Chadwell

Liberty, Head Coach

You’ve seen me write about Chadwell before. His success at the FCS level, Coastal Carolina, and Liberty is unimpeachable. He is one of the best Xs and Os guys in the game. That being said, I don’t know if he’ll be the guy. I’d love the hire for North Carolina, but Liberty has not been performing well in the last few games. Playing a schedule where they should have zero or one losses and be dominating most games, they have not done that. This could turn some people off. That shouldn’t distract from the fact that he’s been a top-notch coach at multiple levels and teams.

Rich Rodriguez

Jacksonville State, Head Coach

The question for Rich Rod is, does he want to be a P4 head coach again? If he does, this might be the year it has to happen. He led Jax State from FCS to FBS with a very impressive 9-4 record in Year One in C-USA. They’re currently 8-4 and have a matchup with Western Kentucky next weekend in the conference title game. I wrote weeks ago that if they get 8-9 wins we might hear Rodriguez get mentioned for a P4 job. He got the wins and now we will get the chatter about jobs.

Charles Huff

Marshall, Head Coach

Huff came to Marshall from being Nick Saban’s RB coach at Alabama and was solid in his first and second years, regressed in year three, and now has won the Sun Belt East in Year Four. He has been to a bowl game every season, coached elite players across multiple schools, plus he’s out of a contract after this year. UCF will likely not be his only suitor this offseason, but a benefit of having an early opening can be identifying your target and making them an offer. This feels like a logical next step up for Huff, who has earned it.

Five more to keep an eye on: 

Tim Harris, Ryan Silverfield, Andy Kotelnicki, GJ Kinne, Dan Mullen.