Everyone loves a sequel, and UCF seems to do it too.

According to sources close to the situation, the university is bringing back Scott Frost as its next football coach.

The 49-year-old Frost would be reunited with the program he led to new heights in 2016-19, including a Colley Matrix-based national championship in 2017 before returning home to coach at Nebraska.

He would replace Gus Malzahn, who resigned as coach of the Knights on November 30 after four seasons.

His hiring would end a coaching search that began in earnest after Malzahn’s departure. The 59-year-old compiled an overall record of 28-24 at UCF, but had lost eight of his last nine games and failed to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2015.

On Monday, he was named Florida State’s new offensive coordinator.

News of the potential move excited the fan base, who watched Frost lead UCF to a 19-7 record in two seasons, including a 12-4 mark and an American Athletic Conference championship in 2017.

Frost left the program in 2018 to return home and coach his alma mater, but was never able to achieve his success at UCF and was released after five seasons with the Cornhuskers in 2022.

Yes, UCF, bring back Scott Frost – and McKenzie Milton! | comment

During his time at Nebraska, the team never had a winning record. It finished with a 16-31 record, including a 10-26 mark in the Big Ten.

The Los Angeles Rams hired him as an assistant to special teams coach Chase Blackburn, but he also worked on offense and defense.

Frost takes over a UCF program that is much different than the one he had when he arrived in 2016.

The Knights are heading into their third year in the Big 12 and have been working to expand their athletic budget to compete in a Power Four conference. The department has operated on a portion of conference revenue the past two seasons — about $19 million a year — but will receive a full share of about $38 million to $40 million a year starting in 2025.

The Mission IV fundraising project has helped the department advance several facility upgrades, including a new $90 million renovation of the Roth Tower, which is connected to FBC Mortgage Stadium. This project, part of a larger soccer campus, was funded by Orange County’s Tourism Development Tax.

Let’s get started!!! 🥶 #GKCO

– DYLAN RIZK (@dylanrizk11) December 7, 2024

Fundraising continues for the Hagle Football Gateway project, part of the planned football campus. There will be the Taylor A. Gerring Football Center, which will house football administration and coaches.

The Gateway will also include Nicholson Plaza and McNamara Cove and will provide recreational river and hydrotherapy for athletes.

A lot has happened in terms of name, image and likeness in the two seasons that Frost has been out of college football, including the expansion of the one-time transfer window.

UCF has worked tirelessly to increase its NIL budget but still needs to keep up with the Big 12 Conference’s other P4 programs.

Then there are the challenges: The upcoming $2.6 billion settlement in the NCAA vs. House case is scheduled to close in April and revenue sharing is taking shape. Thanks to the Big 12’s increased revenue stream, the Knights are in a much better position now than they were as members of the AAC.

On the field, Frost’s fast-paced, no-huddle offense was all the rage in 2017, with UCF finishing near the top of the country in scoring (48.2 points per game) and total offense (530 yards per game). and temporary offense (331 ypg.).

He never achieved comparable success at Nebraska, where the Cornhuskers finished near the bottom of the Big Ten in terms of points and total offense.

UCF finished last season 47th in scoring (30.4 points per game) and 16th in total offense (447.8 points per game). The Knights ranked 98th in passing and averaged less than 200 yards per game in 2024.

Quarterback Dylan Rizk was one of the first players to react to the news, posting: “Let GOOOOOO!!! 🥶 #GKCO.”

Matt Murschel can be reached at [email protected]

Originally published: December 7, 2024 at 5:29 pm EST