OT: Why would Scott Frost go to Nebraska?
Scott Frost is being wooed for both the Nebraska and U Florida jobs; meanwhile, UCF donors are ponying up big bucks for facilities at that university.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/ucf-knights/os-sp-ucf-uconn-mike-…
The indoor player facility that Frost is getting is something that Jimbo Fisher has been poor-mouthing about his school's need for all season long, as fans look with increasing ambivalence on his team.
It's not so widely known, but UCF is the biggest public university in the U.S., in a rapidly growing and increasingly pleasant big, cosmopolitan city, with a lot of wealthy donors intent on pushing it past FSU and UF as the state's major program and school--well-situated to do so.
Does Scott go "home" to cold, recruit-limited Nebraska, a place he is known to be ambivalent about, or build something enduring at UCF? I don't know. But the landscape of football in Florida is in flux.
EDIT: A few posters taking it for granted that the guy would want to return to NB, but I don't think that this is a Harbaugh story. Just going to add this piece about Frost's ambivalence to his alma mater because I realized that it had influenced my thinking about him going back:
http://www.omaha.com/huskers/the-story-of-scott-frost-s-love-hate-relat…
November 13th, 2017 at 10:55 AM ^
November 13th, 2017 at 10:57 AM ^
Because he's an alumnus. Duh.
November 13th, 2017 at 10:57 AM ^
November 13th, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^
That's what I was wondering. Seems like an irrelevant detail that calls the appropriateness of the post into question.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:29 AM ^
could be an irrelevant detail but I don't think it calls "the appropriateness" of the post into question. Perhaps it is difficult to recruit certain players to Nebraska because it is known to be a very conservative area. I don't know that is the case but I don't think he threw it in the OP just to flame.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:43 AM ^
the distinction with Lincoln, maybe should have said cosmopolitan. Not harking so much to the politics--I just think most people would rather live in such an area. And--yeah--I was trying to set up the post to provoke conversation, but I'll be very surprised if Frost goes back to Nebraska. I get that UCF is still a build, but I'd go to Gainesville in a heartbeat over Lincoln.
November 13th, 2017 at 12:40 PM ^
But you're not (I assume) a graduate of Nebraska.
November 13th, 2017 at 1:00 PM ^
I mean, Georgia, Florida State, Alabama, Texas, LSU, Tennessee generally don't have any issues recruiting. And yes, the city of every college campus is generally more liberal than the surrounding area, so nobody chime in to tell me how liberal Austin, Athens, etc. are.
I'm not saying that the OP was trying to insight a riot, just seems like a detail that was unnecessary and touched on a subject that is banned. OP edited so it's all good.
November 13th, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^
Nobody is going to make UCF a top-tier program regardless of how much money is thrown at it.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:44 AM ^
about FSU. UCF has climbed much higher faster.
November 13th, 2017 at 2:01 PM ^
November 13th, 2017 at 2:05 PM ^
things change. And--half-empty stadium notwithstanding--UCF is definitely on the rise.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:00 AM ^
THE HELL WITH SCOTT FROST !!!
hate that big cry baby..
November 13th, 2017 at 11:26 AM ^
Indeed. I never stopped rooting against Nebraska. But if Frost goes back there, it's a whole new angry reason to root against them.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:09 AM ^
You're never going to become a legend at UCF in my opinion. It's a fourth-choice public school in Florida academically, and more of a peer of Southern Florida that the Gators. It has zero tradition, and its best upside would be to achieve Boise State notoriety (but in a state with lots of competition for fans' eyes). And it plays in a league that nobody cares that much about on a national scale.
Frost could come back to Nebraska and become a coaching legend. Especially now that he has roots in Florida to draw talent, and immediate recognition in Nebraska, Oklahoma and most of the rest of the plains states.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:04 AM ^
UCF as the nation's biggest college is a little misleading statistic. They have like 60k undergrads and 8k grad students. Institutionally it has nowhere near the funding that UF has or the donor base.
It's almost like if Western Michigan combined with KVCC to have a gigantic undergrad program.
I would pick Florida >>>> Nebraska
Nebraska is a dumpster fire and now with how recruiting is, it will take a literal legend to return Nebraska to the Osborne days.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:37 AM ^
To give as an argument against taking the Nebraska job that Frost would not get the results Osborne got is nuts.
Of course Frost (or any other coach) is very unlikley to match Osborne level results at Nebraska (or anywhere else). Osborne's run at Nebraska is among the top 5 coaching runs in the history of CFB.
Frost does not have to match Osborne. At this point that is not what Nebraska expects. He would only have to make Nebraska a team that is in serious contention for the BTCCG most years. Not very hard in the Big Ten West.
It would also be very unlikley that Frost would return Florida to the peak of the Meyer era at Florida. That is the best run in the history of Florida football. Not likely to be repeated. And winning the SEC East is not considered 'success' at Florida. They expect the (very unlikley) repeat of Meyer era success.
Frost would be given more time to achive success at Nebraska than at Florida. And the benchmark for success is both lower and easier to achieve at Nebraska than at Florida.
November 13th, 2017 at 12:42 PM ^
I'm just saying that there is almost no way today you can be the best team (or make the CFP) at a school like Nebraska. The talent just isn't there and won't come.
UF - you're the best university in FL. Not in Tally so closer to JAX and the SW and SE side of the state. You can arugably get 2nd in the SEC and make the CFP. FL is a growth state and has nice weather.
Nebraska at its peak now might be able to win the Big10 W and get demolished by OSU, PSU, (hopefully us someday), and MSU in the Conference Championship. Similar to Iowa.
November 13th, 2017 at 2:12 PM ^
on the idea that Nebraska can't be Alabama.
But neither can Florida be what it was under Urban Meyer (unless it gets another Meyer level coach, which is very, very unlikley).
And there is no reason to believe that Frost is a Meyer level coach. He would do fine at Florida, but there is no reason to believe he is a Meyer level guy.
At Nebraska Frost would be given a lot more time than at Florida to right the ship.
And really all he would have to do to keep his job is make Nebraska a serious competitor with Wisconsin. Not very hard. Big Ten West is a really easy path to a conference CCG.
At Florida he has to deal with FSU, Georgia, etc. And he hsa to deal with fans that are not going to be happy with merely being one of the better SEC east programs.
They want to be as good as they were when Meyer was there. Nebraska fans are asking a bit less in an easier division.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:05 AM ^
He's going to stay at UCF. They hit harder than Nebraska and Florida.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:05 AM ^
I could be wrong about this, but no matter how much gets thrown at UCF, it's still UCF and it is still in the AAC, which some coaches could probably grow to enjoy, but Scott Frost doesn't exactly strike me as someone who could simply become comfortable in such a position. That, and as others have said, as far as Nebraska fans in some circles are concerned, this would be their "Harbaugh" hire, and as for Frost, you would have to think that he'd find the idea intriguing even if ultimately he passed. From a purely strategic standpoint, Florida's the easier position to take though.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:06 AM ^
Most of what is said in this thread about Florida and UCF was probably being said about FSU and Florida before Bobby Bowden made FSU a national power. It's always easier to follow someone elses foot steps but, some people want to make their own trail.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^
It was said about the U when Schnellenberger took the job in the 70's.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:24 AM ^
is much different now then it was 45 years ago. UCF is in a non Power 5 conference with no chance of moving to a P5 conference without a major re-shuffling among the P5 conferences. If he stays at UCF the best he can hope for is to get them to a Boise St level under Peterson. Which isn't bad, but they'd be on the outside looking in most of the time for the college football playoffs.
November 13th, 2017 at 12:01 PM ^
a lot, have watched UCF's rise. Kids in Central Florida now take the school seriously. They have a ton of money. Perceptions can be slow to change, but they are already a serious force. I don't think that Frost goes back to NB.
Just saw a tweet from Tony Dungy that says he's staying at UCF, fwiw. I'm a little surprised by how dismissive some of the responses are, but I think my view is also colored by the reports I've read of his uneasy relationship with UN. Let's see.
November 13th, 2017 at 12:33 PM ^
same guy who ranked Brady 6th of the best QB's he has faced because of his Patriot hate
November 13th, 2017 at 11:07 AM ^
Also, isn’t this question sort of like asking why would JH coach at Michigan?
November 13th, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^
can be resurrected by the correct coach. It won't be that hard.
People overestimate having in-state HS talent. Oregon, Wisconsin, Oklahoma have all done well with very limited in-state HS talent.
Meanwhile,Texas, Florida, USC, UCLA, FSU (this year) have been bad to varying degrees over the years despite sitting in the very best recruiting areas. Similarly, Georgia and Miami (until this fluke year) have underperformed.
Frost will have huge institutional suppport and will be given a looong time, sort of like Harbaugh. He can get guys from Texas, from Missouri, a few from Florida and California. Not that hard to recruit between 10-20th ranked classes at Nebraska.
And then he just has to get them to play at their roster talent level (which the current staff is NOT doing; they have a RichRod level D).
UCF will be the 4th choice school for in-state Florida talent for the foreseeable future. Don't care what the AD or talking heads say about 'big money donors.' Not happening.
All Frost will have to do is beat Wisconsin. That is the only consistent top 20 program in the Big West. Iowa is decent, but no match for a re-built Nebraska. It should not be very hard at all for Nebraska to be the program that has a one game (Wisconsin) or two game (Wisconsin and Iowa) season for a spot in the BTCCG.
Seems simple.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:25 AM ^
November 13th, 2017 at 12:33 PM ^
consider Paul Chryst at Wisconsin a top 5 coach?
Neither do I (though he is a good coach).
Yet Wisconsin is able to have success despite not having an elite coach and not having a good recruiting base.
November 13th, 2017 at 8:35 PM ^
You do realize people were saying similar things since even before their championships in the 90s.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:57 AM ^
Oregon recruited California decently well, had peak Nike support with Phil Knight literally watching approvingly from the luxury boxes (thus, unsurpassed cool factor), and had the hot system optimizing their talent. Still, it wasn't enough to win a national title. Wisconsin has achieved extremely well, also basically as a "system" team, but its ceiling is... well, whatever they achieve this year, which is almost certainly a non-playoff NY6 bowl berth.
Oklahoma shares an extended border with Texas, a state which it visits several times a year every year for road and neutral games. Its local talent may be limited but it is basically a Texas school for recruiting purposes.
Nebraska could reach Wisconsin levels of success, but I think that is their ceiling at this point. It's a fine ceiling, one Iowa is happy with and many other schools would long for, but Nebraska fans remember 1971 and they remember 1995. They were once the dominant power in college football, feared and admired by everybody. They were a program so powerful that the Very Best of the SEC brought swagger and fancy uniforms and an exciting offense into a national title game and got humiliated.
They will never approach those heights again. And their fans are having a hard time coming to terms with that.
November 13th, 2017 at 12:17 PM ^
but between Florida and Nebraska, the latter is the better choice for Frost.
Florida fans have higher expectations than Nebraska fans at this point. Florida wants a repeat of the Meyer era. Nebraska would be very happy to be a serious contender for the BTCCG most years.
IOW Nebraska would not consider firing a coach that was at the Wisconsin level (barring Pelini level culture conflict, which is more than half the reason they fired Pelini).
But a Florida coach that has them at Wisconsin level would be on a fairly warm seat every year.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^
If I was Frost, i'd stay at UCF for all the reasons you mentioned. Even back in 2007 when I lived in Orlando I saw the improvements they made by building a pretty nice on campus stadium instead of relying on the awful Citrus Bowl and it was obvious there was a desire to move up and be noticed as a player in a great College football state. Fast forward to now and it's all coming to fruition. They're still gonna struggle to pull big time recruits for the time being obviously but they're on track for something big. Frost in a short time has made them very competitive. I have no doubt his team would take UF to task and probably beat FSU.
November 13th, 2017 at 12:04 PM ^
Why is the citrus bowl awful? Never been so just curious why you'd say that
November 13th, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^
He could go undefeted at UCF for the next 5 years and still not get into the CFP, as long as it's a 4-team playoff.
I'm not a "fan" of the whiney turd so he can go to hell for all I care.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^
November 13th, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^
PJ Fleck got a P5 job after an 8-5 in 2015 and an unbeatean year in 2016 at Western. You go when the going is good.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:52 AM ^
Frost should take the best job he can get for sure.
From the Florida side I'd want a guy with more to show than one good season in the AAC.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:13 AM ^
He should go to Florida and try to coach up a team to beat real opponents
November 13th, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^
I know this might seem like a ridiculous theory, but I think if the school kept the name of Florida Technological University aka "Florida Tech" it would be a more marketable school in college athletics. The fact that it is a directional school, will always hold it back from the big dogs in the state of Florida.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^
November 13th, 2017 at 11:23 AM ^
Private School. It's different.
November 13th, 2017 at 11:44 AM ^
Except that Southern California is a huge region (which has a distinct identity from Northern California) of over 20 million people.
November 13th, 2017 at 12:09 PM ^
So is Central Florida.
I don't think university names have any kind of correlation with the success of a program tbh. Central Michigan isn't what it is because it has a directional name, Illinois State is a mediocrity in spite of having a more impressive name, etc. It's about haves and have nots, and UCF could end up as a have in spite of being a johnny come lately due to a variety of factors.
November 13th, 2017 at 2:45 PM ^
November 13th, 2017 at 11:35 AM ^
There's already a Florida Tech (or sorts) down in Melbourne. A friend's daughter played lacrosse there. College on the beach.....not a bad way to go.
November 13th, 2017 at 12:22 PM ^
"Central Florida" is a mid-major name. I think FSU's and Miami's rises and stays at the top were aided partially by the fact that they have 'big school' names. Florida Tech is a name that doesn't convey that you are a 2nd tier sports school in your own state
November 13th, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^
Nebraska, Einstein. End discussion.