Scott Frost was named the 10th head coach in the history UCF Football on Dec. 1, 2015. On the day he was hired, Frost told fans to buckle their seatbelts because the Knights were going to punch the accelerator and go fast.
True to his word and to the team’s trademark offense – UCFast – Frost quickly led the Black and Gold back to its winning ways. The former national-champion quarterback at Nebraska took over a Knights team that went 0-12 in 2015 and led them to a 12-0 season and American Athletic Conference Championship in just two seasons.
In the 22 seasons that UCF has been a member of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly NCAA Division I-A), no other team has gone from winless to an undefeated regular season.
Following the 2017 regular season, Frost earned Home Depot College Coach of the Year and American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year honors. He was also named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. In addition, he has been named a finalist for the Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant Coach of the Year Award and a semifinalist for the George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year.
Frost led the Knights to their first-ever undefeated regular season. His Knights led the nation in scoring offense in 2017. The Black and Gold finished the regular season ranked No. 10 in the nation in both the Assocaited Press and USA Today Coaches polls. It was the highest ranking ever for UCF in the coaches’ poll and tied for the best ranking ever by the AP.
In Frost’s first season at the helm, UCF went 6-7 and earned a bid to the 2016 AutoNation Cure Bowl at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium. It marked the first time a team had gone from winless to a bowl game since UCF went 0-11 in 2004 and then played in the 2005 Hawaii Bowl.
With Frost at the helm, UCF made one of the best defensive turnarounds in the nation in 2016. The Knights led the American Athletic Conference in five defensive statistical categories, ranked second in the nation in red zone defense and third in the nation with five defensive touchdowns.
In 2015, the Knights ranked 117th in the nation, allowing 37.7 points per game. In 2016, Frost’s squad allowed just 24.6 points per contest, ranking 42nd in the nation. UCF also went from just 13 forced turnovers in 2015 (115th nationally) to 26 turnovers forced in 2016 (18th nationally).
With Frost at the helm, UCF made one of the best defensive turnarounds in the nation in 2016. The Knights led the American Athletic Conference in five defensive statistical categories, ranked second in the nation in red zone defense and third in the nation with five defensive touchdowns.
In 2015, the Knights ranked 117th in the nation, allowing 37.7 points per game. In 2016, Frost’s squad allowed just 24.6 points per contest, ranking 42nd in the nation. UCF also went from just 13 forced turnovers in 2015 (115th nationally) to 26 turnovers forced in 2016 (18th nationally).
Frost came to UCF from Oregon, where he was an assistant coach from 2009-15, ascending to offensive coordinator in 2013. In 2009, the Ducks ranked 33rd in total offense and eighth in scoring. One year later, they climbed to first in the FBS in both categories, and never dropped below sixth with Frost on staff.
Oregon won at least 10 games each year from 2009-14, and had a 79-11 record during Frost's tenure before he accepted the role at UCF. The Ducks appeared in the national title game in 2010 and 2014 along with the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and Alamo Bowl.
Frost was the offensive coordinator as Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy following a 2014 campaign where he threw for 4,454 yards and 42 touchdowns with just four interceptions. Mariota completed 66.8 percent of his passes with 105 passing touchdowns and 14 picks as a Duck, as well as rushing for 2,237 yards and 29 touchdowns from 2012-14.
Frost originally kicked off his career on the sidelines as a graduate assistant at Nebraska in 2002, then held the same role with Kansas State in 2006. His first full-time position came as the linebackers coach for Northern Iowa in 2007 and then as co-defensive coordinator in 2008. Both of those seasons the Panthers appeared in the FCS Playoffs.
A native of Wood River, Neb., Frost traveled to Stanford to begin his college career under legendary Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh. Frost played at both quarterback and free safety for the Cardinal. He then returned home to suit up for Nebraska and head coach College Football Hall of Famer Tom Osborne. After sitting out the 1995 campaign where the program went 12-0 en route to the national title, he took over for Tommie Frazier in 1996 as the Cornhuskers' starting signal-caller. That season, he was selected as the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year thanks to throwing for 1,440 yards with 13 touchdowns and just three picks. He also rushed for 438 yards and nine touchdowns.
As a senior in 1997, Frost was a Johnny Unitas Award finalist, a Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist and a CoSIDA Academic All-America selection. He was voted on to the All-Big 12 Second Team, throwing for 1,237 yards and rushing for 1,096 along with 19 touchdowns on the ground.
During 1997, the Cornhuskers faced off with UCF in Lincoln, where the Knights, who were in just their second year in the FBS, surprised the home team with a 17-14 halftime lead. No. 6 Nebraska bounced back with 17 points in the third quarter for a 38-24 win, and the Cornhuskers eventually were a perfect 13-0 to claim yet another national championship.
Frost would later be tagged in the NFL Draft's third round by the New York Jets, and played in regular season games on defense for the Jets, Browns and Buccaneers.
The Frost File
Wife: Ashley
Hometown: Wood River, Neb.
Education: Nebraska, 1997
UCF Head Coach History
1979-81 -- Don Jonas (14-12-1)
1982 -- Sam Weir* (0-10)
1983-84 -- Lou Saban (6-12)
1984 -- Jerry Anderson* (1-3)
1985-97 -- Gene McDowell (86-61)
1998-03 -- Mike Kruczek (36-30)
2003 -- Alan Gooch* (0-2)
2004-15 -- George O'Leary (81-68)
2015 -- Danny Barrett* (0-4)
2016 -- Scott Frost (6-7)
*Interim head coach
Coaching Experience
2002 -- Nebraska -- Graduate Assistant
2006 -- Kansas State -- Graduate Assistant
2007 -- Northern Iowa - Linebackers
2008 -- Northern Iowa -- Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2009-12 -- Oregon -- Wide Receivers
2013-15 -- Oregon -- Offensive Coordinator
2016-Present -- UCF -- Head Coach
Postseason Games Coached
2002 season -- Independence Bowl
2006 season -- Texas Bowl
2007 season -- FCS Playoffs
2008 season -- FCS Playoffs
2009 season -- Rose Bowl
2010 season -- BCS National Championship Game
2011 season -- Rose Bowl
2012 season -- Fiesta Bowl
2013 season -- Alamo Bowl
2014 season -- Rose Bowl
2014 season -- College Football Playoff National Championship Game
2016 season – Cure Bowl
Playing Experience
1993-94 - Stanford
1995-97 - Nebraska
1998-00 - New York Jets
2001 - Cleveland Browns
2001-02 - Green Bay Packers
2003 - San Francisco 49ers
2003-04 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
as of December 2017
