UCF Sports Thread: 2025 Spring Football is Underway

[dsg2003mach1]

I’m hopeful but not exactly holding my breath

[CZ Eddie]

n/m don't want to spread rumors

[Max Power]

I wouldn’t have rehired Scott Frost, for no other reason than a fresh start, but now that he’s back officially I’ll still support him as coach as long as he sticks around longer if they repeat the success they had before with him. The knights need some long term stability I think. I’d rather see Frost back than Josh Huepel.

[Optimus_Steel]

What personal issues does Frost have?

Also sounds like its a done deal, Frost. What a crazy turn of events.

The rumor is that Frost had problems with both alcohol and marriage infidelity while in Nebraska. The former especially so.

IDK about infidelity but my Husker-connected buddy confirmed the alcohol thing

Is he still married to the same lady? And what are we talking about here, hungover during work hours regularly?

[Brutalfacts]

As a 36 year sober alcoholic I am unconcerned about his history. Yes, he may implode, it happens, but it will be evident early and I am sure his contract has clauses protecting the university.

He has been gifted a second chance, probably the best second chance he could ever have hoped for. Nebraska was probably the worst place possible for him, a combination of pressure, expectations, and entitlement. Over time his worst impulses came to the surface.

If he hit his bottom UCF will have pulled quite a coup. If he hasn’t he will be gone soon enough. Give me the guy on a path to redemption over an unknown quantity, if Scott truly has put his issues in the past he will better, more balanced, and more resourceful coach then the one that left Orlando to go “home”.


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[Knightro]

If he hit his bottom UCF will have pulled quite a coup. If he hasn’t he will be gone soon enough.

I wouldn't be so sure of this. He got a 5 year contract with a 75% buyout. Not gonna be fired anytime soon.

[UCFJayBird]

*Allegedly* the three finalists are...

Former UCF and Nebraska head coach Scott Frost
Current UNLV head coach Barry Odom
Current Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki

I would say Kotelnicki is my preferred choice of those three.

For me it's...

1a - Frost
1b - Kotelnicki
3 - Odom

Frost - So long as he has gotten his life together and back on track with his personal issues I think he'll be great. I think people vastly underestimate how much the pressures of taking over Nebraska sooner than he was probably ready for to please his dad who was battling cancer impacted his mental health and ability to handle the pressures.

Kotelnicki - I don't think he'll have the aura of a Frost or get players necessarily ready to run through walls for him, but his offense is exciting and a good fit IMO.

Odom - I won't be terribly upset, especially if he can bring his OC Marion. He didn't fair too well in Missouri but has killed it at UNLV. My main concern is that Marion is rumored to be up for some other gigs so not sure Odom will be bringing him. I do like that Odom is a defensive minded coach that goes out and finds an OC and truly lets them run the show there. So if he can find another Marion then i'm all for it.

Frost is the swing for the fences hire, I think Kotelnicki is the safer bet. I'd rather swing for the fences.

What personal issues does Frost have?


Also sounds like its a done deal, Frost. What a crazy turn of events.

As others said, rumors about alcoholism mostly. I think people underappreciate the mental strain that was put on Frost when he left here. He wasn't really ready to move on yet, but the dream job opened up and his father was very sick (wound up dying from cancer in 2020). He was extremely close to his father wand wanted him to see him take over. Combine all of that personal stuff with having a new kid, moving back to Nebraska where the fans are CRAZY and the expectations are ridiculous, the same type of player Frost needs in his offense doesn't really want to go to Nebraska, etc. I think he wound up basically in a very rough spot emotionally and mentally, and he turned to alcohol to cope.

I also don't want to spread rumors of details as I don't know what is true and what isn't. But there's enough out there to at least I think know that it was an issue. You can see as much in the way Frost answers questions about his time in Nebraska and leaving here.

I think so long as he's in a better head space, I think he's ready for another chance. He's shown he could do it here before, I have no reason to really doubt he can't do it again. Maybe i'm writing off the NEB stuff too easily for him, but I think others are being too harsh. I think he was 5-22 in one score games there. They set the record one season with the most one score losses in a season. They were probably a few good decisions away from at least getting back to some bowl games, in a place that is very hard to turn around at this point.

[UCFJayBird]

I'm very excited to have him back. Maybe it doesn't pan out, most hires don't, let's be honest, lol. But I do know that Frost wanted to be here more than any other candidate, and if it does work out I don't think we'll be looking for another coach in 3-4 years like we might if we hired another. I think at worse he can help get the culture back that has been dying the last few years. I watched his press conference last night and thought his answers were genuine and well thought out, I liked his perspective and I'll be rooting for hard for him and the team.

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[Knightro]

I think the process that went into the hire was exceptionally poor.

Marc Daniels on The Bridge today basically admitted that fan support had eroded under Gus, so UCF opted to hired the coach that would juice the fans and boosters above all else.

Frost was unquestionably not the best candidate from a resume standpoint. I'd argue, without knowing exactly every name that UCF interviewed, that Frost had the *worst* resume of all the coaches they spoke to.

A coach who went 16-31 at his last job, then sat out of college coaching for 27 months to land another P4 job as his next job is unprecedented. Truly.

[UCFJayBird]

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[UCFJayBird]

I think the process that went into the hire was exceptionally poor.

Why do you think the process was poor though? It sounds to me like they spoke to dozens of candidates. If they went through and vetted a bunch, you might disagree with the decision or outcome, but that doesn't mean the process was flawed.

It's hard to discern fact from speculation, but I've seen some stuff that suggests Frost wasn't our first choice. Supposedly Sumrall (Tulane HC) was worried about our resources after his buyout, supposedly Chadwell's family didn't want to move (Liberty HC).

If they vetted a dozen candidates, even maybe wanted to go with a few others that fell through, and then landed on Frost as the best option, I can't fault that.

[Knightro]

Why do you think the process was poor though? It sounds to me like they spoke to dozens of candidates. If they went through and vetted a bunch, you might disagree with the decision or outcome, but that doesn't mean the process was flawed.

It's hard to discern fact from speculation, but I've seen some stuff that suggests Frost wasn't our first choice. Supposedly Sumrall (Tulane HC) was worried about our resources after his buyout, supposedly Chadwell's family didn't want to move (Liberty HC).

If they vetted a dozen candidates, even maybe wanted to go with a few others that fell through, and then landed on Frost as the best option, I can't fault that.

They hired the coach with the worst resume. By far the worst resume. A coach who would not have gotten a single phone call, much less an interview, with any other P4 school.

And they did it because they felt it would benefit the school the most financially in the short term. It would make the fans and the boosters the most excited.

That's just small time thinking.

They stepped over dollars to pick up dimes.

[UCFJayBird]

Why do you think the process was poor though? It sounds to me like they spoke to dozens of candidates. If they went through and vetted a bunch, you might disagree with the decision or outcome, but that doesn't mean the process was flawed.

It's hard to discern fact from speculation, but I've seen some stuff that suggests Frost wasn't our first choice. Supposedly Sumrall (Tulane HC) was worried about our resources after his buyout, supposedly Chadwell's family didn't want to move (Liberty HC).

If they vetted a dozen candidates, even maybe wanted to go with a few others that fell through, and then landed on Frost as the best option, I can't fault that.

They hired the coach with the worst resume. By far the worst resume. A coach who would not have gotten a single phone call, much less an interview, with any other P4 school.

And they did it because they felt it would benefit the school the most financially in the short term. It would make the fans and the boosters the most excited.

That's just small time thinking.

They stepped over dollars to pick up dimes.

So a lot of conjecture and speculation. Got it.

[Knightro]

So a lot of conjecture and speculation. Got it.

Scott Frost went 16-31 at his last job P4 job. Got fired and then sat out of college football for 27 months.

Taking the emotion and nostalgia out of it, Scott Frost based purely on his existing P4 resume is arguably the least qualified P4 coaching candidate in the history of college football.

That sounds like hyperbole, but it's really not. No one with a P4 resume this bad has gotten another P4 gig without YEARS of career rehabilitation, either as a P4 coordinator/position coach or a G5 head coach.

Frost did none of that career rehabilitation... and also hasn't even been in the sport the last 2.5 years as things have shifted to a much different portal and NIL based pay for play model.

I am wishing him the absolute best, but make no mistake, this is legitimately unprecedented.

No one has ever failed as hard as he failed and landed on their feet like this without *something* in the middle.

[UCFJayBird]

So a lot of conjecture and speculation. Got it.

Scott Frost went 16-31 at his last job P4 job. Got fired and then sat out of college football for 27 months.

Taking the emotion and nostalgia out of it, Scott Frost based purely on his existing P4 resume is arguably the least qualified P4 coaching candidate in the history of college football.

That sounds like hyperbole, but it's really not. No one with a P4 resume this bad has gotten another P4 gig without YEARS of career rehabilitation, either as a P4 coordinator/position coach or a G5 head coach.

Frost did none of that career rehabilitation... and also hasn't even been in the sport the last 2.5 years as things have shifted to a much different portal and NIL based pay for play model.

I am wishing him the absolute best, but make no mistake, this is legitimately unprecedented.

No one has ever failed as hard as he failed and landed on their feet like this without *something* in the middle.

Not disagreeing, but I think we can acknowledge that just because it's unprecedented doesn't make it a bad move or the wrong move, and I don't know if there's another coach that has had this unique of a situation, both at the school where he flamed out and at the school where he returned.

Let me know if there's another coach who inherited a dumpster fire winless team, took them to 6 wins, and then undefeated the next. Then let me know if that coach, in only his third season as a head coach, jumped up to his alma mater where the pressures and expectations were unrealistic. Let me know if that school was also a dumpster fire where no one has been able to do anything successful in forever. Add in a dying father.

I also just don't know if Frost didn't have other opportunities after Nebraska. We do know he interviewed here to be an OC for Gus, but he "wasn't ready". I don't know if that is Frost's decision, or the school's. I just don't know if he had other opportunities and decided he wanted to get out of college to clear his head for a few years. And then this job happened to open up quickly and made him want to get back in. That's what it sounds like, but it could be smoke and mirrors.

My point is, yea, I can agree that any other school would not give him this opportunity quite yet. They'd want him to be an OC elsewhere or go by a HC at a lower division. Those schools aren't UCF, and I think it's disingenuous to pretend that the context and circumstances of why Frost is a unique fit don't apply, or why Frost's experience at UCF should be weighed far more heavily from UCF's perspective than another school.

I just don't see anything to suggest the process itself was flawed and a disaster. I get it, you don't agree with the decision, you think Frost should've had to go elsewhere first. I understand that and even agree to a large extent and would've preferred he had another stop between us. But i don't think it's a terrible decision or a bad choice. I think it's a swing at the fences by an administration that desperately needs to revitalize the program that has been slipping for years and is on the verge of losing a lot of support.

[Knightro]

Not disagreeing, but I think we can acknowledge that just because it's unprecedented doesn't make it a bad move or the wrong move, and I don't know if there's another coach that has had this unique of a situation, both at the school where he flamed out and at the school where he returned.

Let me know if there's another coach who inherited a dumpster fire winless team, took them to 6 wins, and then undefeated the next. Then let me know if that coach, in only his third season as a head coach, jumped up to his alma mater where the pressures and expectations were unrealistic. Let me know if that school was also a dumpster fire where no one has been able to do anything successful in forever. Add in a dying father.

I also just don't know if Frost didn't have other opportunities after Nebraska. We do know he interviewed here to be an OC for Gus, but he "wasn't ready". I don't know if that is Frost's decision, or the school's. I just don't know if he had other opportunities and decided he wanted to get out of college to clear his head for a few years. And then this job happened to open up quickly and made him want to get back in. That's what it sounds like, but it could be smoke and mirrors.

My point is, yea, I can agree that any other school would not give him this opportunity quite yet. They'd want him to be an OC elsewhere or go by a HC at a lower division. Those schools aren't UCF, and I think it's disingenuous to pretend that the context and circumstances of why Frost is a unique fit don't apply, or why Frost's experience at UCF should be weighed far more heavily from UCF's perspective than another school.

I just don't see anything to suggest the process itself was flawed and a disaster. I get it, you don't agree with the decision, you think Frost should've had to go elsewhere first. I understand that and even agree to a large extent and would've preferred he had another stop between us. But i don't think it's a terrible decision or a bad choice. I think it's a swing at the fences by an administration that desperately needs to revitalize the program that has been slipping for years and is on the verge of losing a lot of support.

I just think using the data point of Frost succeeding here the first time around is just a dangerous thing to assume will also be the case the Frost 2.0 era.

UCF won the American Athletic Conference twice before Scott Frost ever arrived here. They had a near decade established track record of being one of the top G5 programs, both in terms of resources and performance.

2015 absolutely went off the rails, but the program wasn't in nearly as bad of shape as the record would lead you to believe. They had multiple NFL players on that 2015 roster for goodness sake.

Frost came in and provided love and a sense of fun to a group that was already hard nosed and disciplined and just needed to feel a little joy in their lives. Combine that with hitting grand slam on a 3 star QB who played like a 5 star QB and things turned around quickly. But that sort of fortune in recruiting is rare. Sometimes it's once in a lifetime for a coach.

Frost's success at UCF was really the perfect storm IMO. He inherited a bunch of hard nosed kids who had the accountability and the toughness beaten into them, but the joy of playing football beaten out of them. He brought that back and landed Milton. Perfect storm.

But now?

UCF has no track record of success in the Big 12. The league is SIGNIFICANTLY more difficult than the G5 league Frost was in previously. The Knights are near the bottom of the league in resources. He is not inheriting a tough or disciplined team.

It's just very different. I don't think it's smart to assume it will work because it worked once before under an entirely different set of circumstances.

[dsg2003mach1]

time will tell but definitely seems like a home run or strike out with no in between situation

[UCF]

The next few days and months will be a pressure cooker to catch up for Coach Frost. I hope for his sake that he hit rock bottom and surrounds himself with the support needed for success. It’s undeniable that he gets the boosters excited because for many of them, he brought the pinnacle moment in our brief history.

I don’t expect this year to go well and I didn’t expect last year to go well either. I do hope to see real progress for year two.


Is the 75% buyout with or without cause?

[Knightro]

Is the 75% buyout with or without cause?

Without.

With cause he’d get nothing presumably.

[MasterGMer]

Why is Jaylin Sellers still out? Any infor on him? #UCFMBB