With Scott Frost set to return to the UCF Knights, after reportedly agreeing in principle on a deal to return to Central Florida, where he was the head coach in 2016 and 2017, an old quote has resurfaced. And it’s one that will make UCF fans feel even better about the hire.
The UCF Knights lost Frost when he became the Nebraska Huskers coach following a 13-0 season in Central Florida. But at Nebraska, a bunch of close losses during his career ended his tenure as a head coach early in the 2022 season after a 1-2 start. He finished his career at Nebraska with a 16-31 record, including going 10-26 in Big Ten play.
Last summer, Frost was asked about leaving UCF in a University article looking back on the 2017-18 seasons, and he said, as was shared on X on Saturday, “That was a tough decision for all of us. Looking back, I think a lot of people would have done a lot of things different through that time. What’s tough about making decisions like that is the timing that they come. You have to make those decisions in the middle of the season when you’re tired, when you’re exhausted. All I’ll say is, I can’t really describe to you how emotional I was because I don’t think my heart really wanted to leave. UCF was a special place to me then and it always will be.”
It’s certainly a feel-good story to get Frost back in Central Florida, and hopefully for the Knights, Frost is rejuvenated, learned from his mistakes in Lincoln, and can help UCF succeed at the Power 4 level.
Following the season finale vs. Utah, Gus Malzahn left to become the offensive coordinator at Florida State after a second-straight season of not meeting expectations with the Knights two years into the program joining the Big 12 Conference.
Malzahn won nine games in each of his first two years in Orlando after taking over for Josh Heupel, who left for Tennessee. But the last two seasons in the Big 12 have not gone as planned. UCF went 6-7 last season, including some close losses. And with plenty of talent on the roster, the Knights were a trendy dark horse pick in the Big 12. But the Knights went 4-8 overall and 2-7 in Big 12 play.
