Who Is Scott Frost?

Scott Frost is an American college football coach and former quarterback best known for engineering a historic turnaround at the University of Central Florida (UCF) before serving as head coach at the University of Nebraska.[2][3] He has become a prominent figure in the sport due to both his on-field success and the scrutiny surrounding his subsequent coaching stops.

During his first tenure at UCF from 2016 to 2017, Frost turned a winless program into an undefeated one, finishing 13–0 with an American Athletic Conference championship and a Peach Bowl victory over Auburn.[1][2] That performance earned him national Coach of the Year honors and set the stage for his return to Orlando after his Nebraska stint.

Scott Frost’s Return to UCF

In December 2024, UCF announced that Scott Frost would return as its head football coach following the resignation of Gus Malzahn, marking the beginning of his second stint leading the Knights.[2][3] The university agreed to a five-year contract with Frost, keeping him under contract through the 2029 season and signaling strong institutional confidence in his ability to guide the program in the Big 12.[1][3]

Frost’s comeback builds directly on his earlier success in Orlando, where he inherited an 0–12 team and produced the greatest two-year turnaround in college football history, culminating in a 13–0 season.[1][2] In his first year back, he has reflected on lessons learned at Nebraska and emphasized re-energizing UCF’s high-powered offense while adapting to the heightened week-to-week demands of Power Five competition.[2][4][5]

Nebraska Lawsuit and Coaching Legacy

After leaving UCF the first time, Frost took over as head coach at his alma mater, Nebraska, where he posted a 16–31 record from 2018 until his firing three games into the 2022 season.[2][3] His tenure was marked by an extraordinary number of close defeats, with most losses coming by single digits, and he became the first Nebraska head coach since the late 1950s to leave without a winning season.[2][3]

Frost has now sued the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, disputing aspects of how his dismissal and buyout were handled following his termination.[3] The lawsuit adds a legal dimension to his complex legacy in Lincoln and could influence how future coaching contracts address termination, mitigation, and guaranteed money, even as he works to reestablish his reputation and long-term trajectory through his second chance at UCF.[2][3]