Mike Bianchi: For Scott Frost, coaching at Nebraska was his obligation; UCF is his passion

ORLANDO, Fla. — Scott Frost never wanted to coach at Nebraska.

He had to coach at Nebraska.

And maybe, in a strange way, that’s why he failed beyond comprehension.

Frost’s departure from UCF after the euphoric, historic undefeated season in 2017 to return to his home state and coach at his alma mater is a cautionary tale — a story of turning a dream season into a football nightmare defined by burdens, demands and unrelenting expectations.

“There was a lot of pressure [to take the Nebraska job],” said Frost last weekend when he returned to UCF as head coach. “It was hard for me to leave UCF. It was emotional. You know, when you’re climbing the ladder of success in life, sometimes they forget to tell you to stop when you’re happy.”

Leaving UCF in 2017 to take the job at his alma mater was not his desire; it was his obligation. He grew up in Nebraska and quarterbacked the Cornhuskers to a national title in 1997. His legendary former coach Tom Osborne, his former teammates and his family all urged him to come home to save a sinking program.

It was like back in the day when Bear Bryant was asked why he left a national championship-contending team at Texas A&M to take over a beleaguered program at his alma mater, the University of Alabama.

“Mama called,” Bryant replied. “And when Mama calls, you just have to come runnin’.”

But from the day Frost came runnin’ at Lincoln, there were indications he was unhappy. Tom Shatel, the longtime columnist of the Omaha World-Herald who covered Frost as a Nebraska player and coach, recalls Frost’s introductory news conference at Nebraska.

“He didn’t smile a lot,” Shatel says now. “Everybody else was smiling; everybody else was high-fiving. And he was just very businesslike. And then at the end of the press conference, he was almost threatening to the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/mike-bianchi-scott-frost-coaching-041200871.html

Author : Orlando Sentinel

Publish date : 2024-12-15 04:12:00

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