Despite a storied homecoming, Scott Frost’s Nebraska stint collapsed under the weight of "red flags" and narrow losses, marking a disastrous fall from his undefeated peak at UCF.
Scott Frost left UCF after the 2017 season to coach for his alma mater, Nebraska, but it was an unsuccessful venture and is considered one of the top-10 worst hires in the last 15 years.
Former Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos pursued Frost as the next Cornhuskers coach, highlighting UCF's transformation into a dominant program in 2017. Frost also played for Nebraska from 1995 to 1997, showing that Moos wanted a former Cornhusker to lead the program.
Although Frost and his alma mater shared a connection, it didn't seem like he wanted the job when interviewed by Moos in Philadelphia.
"I wanted to go one-on-one with Scott," Moos said. "We had it all set up, and Kendra [Moos] had the room all set up as she always does. And, in comes Scott with Gerrod Lambrecht, who I didn't even know who he was. They were both in sweats, hadn't shaved, and to me, that's a red flag right there."
Despite all the red flags, Moos still hired Frost in 2018, and it did not pan out. Frost led the Cornhuskers for four seasons before being let go after the first three games of 2022.
Frost started his first season with a six-game losing streak before winning his first game against Minnesota, 53-28. Nebraska finished the 2018 season with a 4-8 record.
The losing continued in the following season, this time in the middle of the year. Frost started with a 4-2 record before losing four straight games, closing the season out 5-7.
Nebraska went 3-5 in 2020, and ended the 2021 season -- Frost's last full coaching year -- with a six-game losing streak.
He had a 16-31 record with his alma mater, and 23 of the 31 losses were within single digits. 12 of those games were within five points as well.
Close losses defined Frost's tenure at Nebraska, as the Cornhuskers could never string together enough possessions to change the game's momentum in their favor.
After Frost was fired, he took a break for one year before becoming a senior analyst for the Los Angeles Rams in 2024. Now, he's back with the team he coached to national glory.
Frost has added recruits and transfers to the existing foundation of returners to compete for a title in the Big 12, cementing the Knights had one of the best offseasons in the conference.
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