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With the Mike Riley era over, Nebraska can now go all in for Scott Frost
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The time has finally come for the full-court press.
The end of the Mike Riley era, which was made official on Saturday, meant that the Huskers could finally turn the page to Scott Frost. No longer is he the impressive coordinator without the head coaching experience. He is, by any stretch, the top target to take over the mess that Riley left.
For some, that was the case three years ago. Now, it’s not really up for debate. The former Husker quarterback and national champion will be in line for a massive raise, wherever he ends up. After all, he already cleaned up the 0-12 mess he took over in Orlando.
While Riley capped off his Nebraska tenure by suffering a 42-point loss to Iowa to clinch its worst season since 1961, Frost became the first FBS coach to turn an 0-12 team into one with a perfect regular season in two years or less. His résumé speaks for itself. That’s why it’s not a one-horse race to land Frost.
Florida, now that it’s out of the Chip Kelly sweepstakes, is reportedly set to also put on the full-court press to get Frost. Kirk Herbstreit even said on College GameDay that he’d be “shocked” if Frost didn’t end up in Gainesville. In all likelihood, the next week will be a back-and-forth race to land Frost between the two deflated programs.
But Nebraska knew this day would come. Now, only time will tell if it can bring Frost home.
To be clear, Nebraska has likely been talking with Frost’s representatives for weeks now. Reports of this being “a done deal” don’t mean much until a contract is signed. If the Huskers really are just beginning those talks with Frost’s people, that’d be most dumbfounding development of a season full of dumbfounding moments in Lincoln.
New athletic director Bill Moos has a pretty clear set of guidelines moving forward. If he decides to go off the beaten path like his predecessor Shawn Eichorst did to hire Riley, he’ll be ridiculed mercilessly by a loyal, smart fanbase.
Of course, this isn’t strictly about what fans want. If athletic directors operated under that premise, they’d just fire off Twitter polls and let the results dictate their decisions. But Moos, who got Mike Leach to come to Pullman, will have an easier sell to get Frost back to Nebraska.
Is this a “head vs. heart” decision for Frost? Maybe, maybe not. Florida won national titles this century, and Nebraska is deemed a tougher rebuild without the recruiting benefits that the Gators have in their own state.
Moos’ job is to pull out all the stops. Lord knows the Tom Osborne pitch has been and will be the most powerful weapon in his arsenal. That’s more powerful than the Steve Spurrier card that Florida will inevitably play.
How perfect is that? We’re going to have Osborne vs. Spurrier all over again. If Nebraska fans have it their way, it’ll be the 1996 Fiesta Bowl 2.0.
Moos has to find a way to hit on every bit of those emotional ties that Frost has to Nebraska. You only have one home, and contrary to what has been said by the UCF faithful, Frost’s home ain’t in Florida.
Does Moos have to recruit negatively against Florida? Not necessarily. He doesn’t have to point out the fact that even Spurrier and Urban Meyer got burnt out in Gainesville, or that the Gators now have a major force in their division with Kirby Smart at Georgia.
This decision is ultimately going to come down to the kind of legacy Frost wants to build. If his quest is becoming the closest thing to his mentor Osborne, then it’s not even a two-horse race. If his quest is building on the foundation that he’s built in the state of Florida the last couple years and he doesn’t want to risk potential failure back home, then he’ll end up in Gainesville.
Contrary to what some said, this won’t come down to where Frost wants to live or the belief that his wife, Ashley, likes the warm weather that Florida has to offer. Roller coasters that his kids have probably been on a billion times won’t keep Frost in Florida, either.
The ball is now in Frost’s court to make the biggest decision of his young, promising career.
But it’s up to Nebraska to get the steal it so desperately needs.
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.