His final game: A loss to Georgia Southern.
Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
It is time to address the Scott Frost situation. Let’s get this over with.
Where We Were, What We Expected
When Scott Frost was hired as Nebraska’s new football coach in late 2017, Husker Nation was ecstatic. The local hero had returned. He was the child of Husker royalty, a high school legend, quarterback of a national champion squad, and a six-season NFL veteran as a safety. He was coached by Bill Walsh, Tom Osborne, and Bill Parcells, among others. He had been the offensive coordinator for a potent Oregon offense. His first head coaching gig at Central Florida was a success, earning a “national championship” after an undefeated season that included a victory over Auburn in the Peach Bowl.
Face it, that was one hell of a resume.
Nebraska, his alma mater, was adrift. Since the firing of Frank Solich in 2003, the team was mediocre at best. No coach had been able to tap into the culture and history of the state. We needed a bridge from days of yore, up and over the the moribund present, leading to radiant future glory.
Scott was THAT GUY.
In the interest of transparency, here is what the Nebraska “writers” – our own corncrib – had to say in the previews of the 2018 season:
As a corncrib we were enthused, but a bit taken aback by the hype. It is fair to say we anticipated much more than we actually got.
What We Got
Apart from and endless rumors about Coach Frost’s family life, social life, party buddies, and wild times…we got nuthin’. The team was horrid, and the leadership was atrocious. The Frost Era was a disaster on every front, and that is putting it mildly. The program, and the man, self-destructed before our very eyes.
Frost’s Recent Comments
Here is what Scott Frost said at Big 12 Media Days earlier this month:
UCF coach Scott Frost on what he learned from Nebraska:
“Don’t take the wrong job.”
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) July 8, 2025
There are a lot of ways to approach this. Here are a few:
In the most forgiving sense, it could be interpreted as self-knowledge or wisdom. Doubtful. “Don’t take the wrong job” is certainly sage advice. Anyone who, like me, has ever taken the “wrong job” will attest as much. So this is passable pablum, but better it come from someone looking back at some distance from the events. Too soon, Scotty. Too soon.
The quote can also be interpreted as a weasel-worded attempt to evade or minimize responsibility. Very big “mistakes were made” vibes.
It can also be seen as weasel-worded and true. It clearly was not a good move for anyone. UCF got worse, Nebraska got worse, his life got worse. He was a disaster, and people (including himself) suffered as a result.
Frost: “I said I wouldn’t leave (UCF) unless it was someplace you could win a national championship. 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.”
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) July 8, 2025
This is simply a self-serving statement by Frost. He had agency in this process. He could have taken a different job or stayed at UCF.
I firmly believe he enjoyed himself at UCF. He could succeed and still maintain some kind of private life, evading the microscope he was under in Lincoln. Nobody in Orlando cared about who was seen hanging out with him the night before.
What is missing from all this is any type of accountability or responsibility. Is it possible that you did not do everything you could, Scott? Could you have shown up a bit more? Could you have taken the advice and help that so many people were willing to give? Are there things you could have done differently? Are there things you should not have done at all? You see where it goes from here. We didn’t hear this when you were cashing all those checks, etc., etc.
A Final Thought, Springer Style
It is fair to say that most Husker fans are somewhere between frustrated and furious with Scott Frost. People feel cheated, and they did not get the ride the athletic department paid for. I am more on the frustrated/sad end of the spectrum. He held so much promise, and he still does. If he is ever to fulfill that promise, he has work to do. He might get there, but it will not be at his alma mater.
Nebraska is better since he has gone. UCF may be better now that he has returned.
I genuinely hope Scott Frost is in a better place as a human. Only time will tell.
Poll
What is the last word on the Frost Era?
35%
He was great comic relief!
(10 votes)
21%
It’s over, let us never speak of him again.
(6 votes)
35%
Don’t cry because it is over. Smile because it happened.
(10 votes)
28 votes total