From Stuart Mandel's mailbag:
Is Scott Frost to Nebraska inevitable at this point?
Chris Fort, Chicago, Ill.
No, definitely not.
I realize that connection seemingly makes all the sense in the world. But even if we assume for the sake of this question that Mike Riley is out at the end of the season, I wouldn’t guarantee either that Nebraska would offer Frost the job or that he would accept it.
Keep in mind, three years ago when the school fired Bo Pelini it never even called Frost, then the offensive coordinator at Oregon coaching Marcus Mariota to a Heisman Trophy and national title game appearance. Obviously, two things have changed since then. 1) Frost now has head-coaching experience, and in fact has had great success at UCF and 2) The decision-makers at Nebraska have completely changed over.
It’s hard to say whether the latter will positively or negatively impact Frost’s chances. How important will they consider it for candidates to have a connection to the Huskers’ past?
But let’s say interim AD Dave Rimington (or whoever might assume that job between now and then) decides to make a run at Frost. By no means do I think it’s a given he’ll go running back to Lincoln. For one thing, he’s just getting it going at UCF. He really likes it there. By no means do I think he’ll never move up to a Power 5 job, but maybe he doesn’t make that move after two seasons.
But more telling, Frost was very patient and very selective in landing his first head-coaching job. What drew him to UCF in particular was the abundance of speed and talent right in the school’s backyard that fits his system so well. As he knows, there is very little of that in Nebraska. Were a school in a more fertile area to come calling — say, UCLA or any number of SEC programs — he might prefer that.
I suppose it would depend on just how much of an affinity Frost holds toward his home state and his alma mater. Maybe I’m overthinking it and he could never turn that place down. Or maybe his intimate knowledge of that state and program make him keenly aware of its present-day limitations.
