The Coaching Journey of Scott Frost: From National Champion to Head Coach
Scott Andrew Frost, born on January 4, 1975, is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Frost previously served as the head coach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 2018 to 2022 and at UCF from 2016 to 2017.
Early Life and Playing Career
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Frost attended Wood River High School, where he excelled as the team's starting quarterback for four years. He amassed 6,859 passing yards and 67 touchdowns, along with 4,278 rushing yards and 72 touchdowns. He also won a state championship in the shot put.
Frost began his collegiate career at Stanford, playing for Bill Walsh for two seasons (1993-1994) before transferring to Nebraska in 1995 to play for Tom Osborne. His senior season featured the memorable "Flea Kicker" play against Missouri, where he threw a pass that was inadvertently kicked by teammate Shevin Wiggins and caught by Matt Davison for a touchdown. This play sent the game into overtime, where Frost sealed Nebraska's victory with a rushing touchdown. Frost led Nebraska to a share of the 1997 national championship after defeating Peyton Manning's Tennessee Volunteers in the 1998 Orange Bowl. He was also a Johnny Unitas Award finalist and an Academic All-American in 1997.
After college, Frost played professionally for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as a safety.
Early Coaching Career
After his NFL career, Frost began his coaching journey as a temporary graduate assistant at his alma mater in December 2002, while still on the Green Bay Packers' injured reserve list. He later served as a graduate assistant at Kansas State in 2006.
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Frost's first full-time coaching job came in 2007 at Northern Iowa (UNI) as the linebackers coach. In 2008, he was promoted to co-defensive coordinator. That season, UNI's defense finished tied for third in the FCS in takeaways (40) and ninth in scoring defense (17.7 points per game). The Panthers had a 24-4 record during Frost's two seasons, winning two Missouri Valley Conference titles and earning a No. 1 seed in the FCS playoffs in 2007.
Oregon (2009-2015)
In 2009, Frost joined the coaching staff at Oregon as the wide receivers coach under head coach Chip Kelly and offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich. During Frost's seven seasons, Oregon never ranked lower than eighth nationally in scoring offense, and the Ducks led the nation in scoring in 2010.
Frost was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2013. In each of his three seasons calling plays, Oregon ranked in the top five nationally in both scoring and total offense. In 2014, the Ducks scored 681 points, the second-highest total in NCAA history, and made it to the College Football Playoff Championship Game. Frost was one of five finalists for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation's top assistant coach. As the quarterbacks coach, he mentored Marcus Mariota, who won the Heisman Trophy and was the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick. During Frost’s tenure as offensive coordinator, Oregon recorded a 33-8 record and consistently ranked among the nation’s top teams in scoring and total offense.
UCF (2016-2017)
On December 1, 2015, Frost was hired as the head football coach at UCF, replacing George O'Leary. He immediately turned the program around. In 2016, the Knights went 6-7, a significant improvement from their 0-12 record the previous season, and made it to the Cure Bowl. Frost became the only first-year coach in FBS history to take a team to a bowl game after a winless season.
In 2017, Frost led the Knights to a perfect 13-0 season, winning the American Athletic Conference (AAC) championship with a 62-55 double-overtime victory over Memphis. They defeated No. 7 Auburn in the Peach Bowl, completing the first undefeated and untied season in school history and claiming a national championship recognized by the NCAA. UCF led the nation in scoring at 48.2 points per game and was the only FBS team to score at least 30 points in every game. Frost was named the AAC Coach of the Year and earned several national coach of the year awards.
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Nebraska (2018-2022)
On December 2, 2017, Frost accepted the head coaching position at his alma mater, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, following the firing of Mike Riley. His return was highly anticipated, given his status as the quarterback of the Cornhuskers' last national championship team in 1997 and his recent success at UCF.
However, Frost's tenure at Nebraska was largely unsuccessful. In his first four seasons, the Cornhuskers never played in a bowl game and failed to compete in the West Division of the Big Ten Conference, never rising higher than fifth. Frost posted a 5-20 record in games decided by 8 points or less, a 10-25 record in Big Ten Conference games, and an 0-14 record against ranked opponents.
Frost's tenure was marked by close losses, with 23 of his 31 losses being by single digits, including each of his final 13 losses. In 2018, the Huskers finished with a 4-8 record, facing eight ranked opponents. Five of their losses were by five or fewer points. In 2019, Nebraska went 5-7, with five losses to ranked teams. In 2021, all nine of Nebraska’s losses were by single digits, and they faced eight teams that won at least nine games.
Nebraska fired Frost on September 11, 2022, the day after a 45-42 home loss to Georgia Southern. He left with a 16-31 record at Nebraska.
Return to UCF (2025)
After a brief hiatus from coaching, Scott Frost returned to UCF as head coach.
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Coaching Style and Impact
Frost is known for his offensive play-calling abilities, having led high-powered offenses at Oregon and UCF. He has coached several NFL players, including Jordan Akins, Otis Anderson Jr., Nevelle Clarke, Gabe Davis, Kalia Davis, Jordan Franks, Richie Grant, Shaquill Griffin, Shaquem Griffin, Jacob Harris, Trysten Hill, and Mike Hughes.
Despite the struggles at Nebraska, Frost's success at UCF and Oregon demonstrates his potential as a head coach and offensive strategist. His return to UCF presents an opportunity to rebuild a program and recapture the success he achieved earlier in his career.
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