It’s rare to see a HC leave his position for a smaller role. So when Guz Malzahn walked away from a $5M UCF gig to become Florida State’s offensive coordinator, eyebrows were raised. But before the fans could process that, the Knights threw an even bigger surprise. Scott Frost was back. The same coach who led UCF to a perfect 13-0 record in 2017 but crashed and burned at Nebraska. And now, he’s returning to Orlando with a hefty price tag.
And just like that, UCF is betting the farm on the man who’s either about to spark another miracle or burn $22.1M in Florida heat. Curious what changed? In a new episode on Sons of UCF on July 21, CBS Sports Shehan Jeyarajah dropped some insider whispers on Scott Frost’s Round 2. “Well, it’s fascinating, right? Because we know that he is an innovative coach. We know that he has very athletic teams, very attacking teams,” he said but added the concerning factor. “But also, I mean, he’s been out of college football for several years at this point now.” But the Knights have their reason to bring him back.
Speaking to UCF’ athletic director Terry Mohajir, Shehan Jeyarajah was able to dig out why they think bringing back Scott Frost is a good idea. “One of the huge draws of hiring coach Frost back was that he had spent some time with Sean McVay. He had learned a little bit more about offense,” he said. You see, the 50-year-old isn’t just returning to UCF. He’s also trying to erase his Nebraska nightmare that ended with a 16-31 record, a 1-2 start in 2022 that fired him leading to a career hiatus in 2023. He may have spent last season as a senior analyst with the Los Angeles Rams but even two seasons away from college football gives you lots to catch up on. As the analyst added, “Is he ready for how much this sport has changed and how much UCF has in the past 10 years or so?”
Well, some believe in second chances but Ari Temkin from Big 12 Today wasn’t sold. “I think he brings back some of the same coaches that he had previously,” he said. “So I don’t know, just some of the things that have happened from the start of this that rubbed me the wrong way.” Bringing an outdated baggage into the Big 12 landscape that’s evolved without him isn’t going to favor him. But wait until you hear how Frost views his past choices.
In what might be the most candid soundbite of 2025, Scott Frost confessed, “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.” That move, of course, was to Nebraska, his alma mater. He admitted he never really wanted the job but felt compelled to take it. Now, he says he’s “lucky to get back to a place where I was a lot happier.” But will happiness equal wins in Year Zero of the Big 12 era?
Matt Rhule agrees with Scott Frost’s viral comment
“Don’t take the wrong job.” That’s what Scott Frost had to say after a failed gig in Lincoln. At Big Ten Media Days, Nebraska’s current HC Matt Rhule was ready when asked about the former coach’s eyebrow-raising comment. And surprisingly, he didn’t defend the program, he defended the guy.
After all, he knows what it feels like to get the boot when he was fired by the Carolina Panthers in 2022. “I would say to people ‘I don’t think I took the right job for me. It wasn’t the right fit.’ That doesn’t mean it’s a bad,” he said. “Now I will say this. This (Nebraska) was not a good job when I got here. We were behind on NIL, the facilities weren’t…everything was behind.”
Matt Rhule’s empathy wasn’t just lip service. He pointed to real change. Nebraska’s 2025 recruiting class now ranks No. 20 nationally. “It was not a good job, and we’ve made it a good job,” he said. “And we’re about to make it a great job.” Maybe it’s a subtle jab. But it also reinforced just how bad things were when Scott Frost took over. The current UCF coach might’ve been right. The Nebraska job was a trap, and Rhule confirmed it. But that doesn’t make the Knights’ decision any less risky.
UCF is hitching their wagon to a redemption story that could either inspire or become an expensive cautionary tale. Only time and a few Saturdays will tell which side wins.
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