The Gus Malzahn experience in Orlando didn’t quite pan out for UCF like the Knights hoped. Malzahn was supposed to be the perfect coach to lead the Knights into the Big 12. He had already coached in a power conference.
But his last two seasons at UCF were forgettable and now he’s out the door and joined Mike Norvell’s staff as the offensive coordinator. That means the Knights have to turn to a new coach to turn things around.
Or do they? They could bring back a familiar face. One who helped them win a “national championship” not too long ago.
One Scott Frost. But that comes with a caveat. Last time Frost was on the sidelines, Nebraska was somehow worse than when he got there. It makes sense on paper. But is Frost really the right coach to bring UCF back to the heights it was at when he left it the first time?
UCF turning to Scott Frost as a potential coaching candidate could be catastrophic rather than ideal
According to John Brice from footballscoop.com, he said Frost has been linked as a serious candidate for the opening at UCF, along with UNLV’s Barry Odom. While Frost was at UCF the first time, he reached historic heights.
But the last time he was on the sidelines as a college coach, it was disastrous. He had just a 16-31 record at Nebraska, never played in a bowl game and had probably as many one-possession losses as he did total wins.
Because he’s been away from college as long as he has, would it be worth bringing him back? Last time he was a coach, NIL and recruiting wasn’t nearly as crazy as it is now. Is he the best coach to compete in this new era of recruiting?
These are the questions UCF has to ask themselves as they seriously consider a reunion with Frost. It sounds good because he was able to be successful the first time around. But seldom do college coaches come back to teams they built up and repeat that success.
And with how bad things were for Frost at Nebraska, the UCF administration has to truly ask themselves if the pros truly outweigh the cons of bringing back Frost.