Sorry UCF, that funding initiative is nice and all, but this is the kind of stuff you’re going to have to deal with in the coming months. Or even beyond if he happens to stay after this year.
Combine a 4-4 start to the season with a new athletic director in place, and the chatter surrounding Mike Riley‘s long-term viability at Nebraska beyond this year has increased of late. If -- and that’s still a fairly sizable if at the moment, although it seemingly shrinks with every passing game day -- a native son in every sense is thought to be the at or near the top of the list for potential replacements.
Not only is Scott Frost a former Nebraska quarterback who was born and raised in the state, but, as the second-year head coach at UCF, he has the Knights ranked 18th nationally off a 7-0 start heading into Week 10. And that’s coming off a six-win first season for the 42-year-old Frost with a program that was winless the year before he arrived.
With that as a backdrop, the new NU athletic director, Bill Moos, did a radio spot Tuesday and offered some very high praise for Frost. And, simultaneously, provided additional fuel for the rumor mill.
“Of course, he does have the roots here, raised in the state of Nebraska and playing for the icon that Tom Osborne is and a lot of things very positive,” Moos said. “Scott is going to be a coach in a Power Five [conference], and probably sooner than later, and he has paid his dues and I’ve been quite impressed.
"[I have] never really met him, but just watching his work from afar.”
Earlier in the interview, Moos also described Frost as having the “full package” when it comes to being a head coach. A full-package coach who could make a seamless transition to a place like, oh, I don’t know, Lincoln?
The next few weeks in the Land of the Corn are going to be interesting, to say the least. If nothing more, Moos’ public comments assured us of that.