It 麻豆精品 S檚 7:41 p.m. on Dec. 8. The lights of FBC Mortgage Stadium illuminate the field as Scott Frost steps out of the tunnel for the first time since the last time 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S� The 2017 American Athletic Conference Championship game when he knew he was on borrowed time and just wanted to celebrate with his guys.
Today is a homecoming moment just for him and his wife, Ashley, as they check off their final task (a five-minute photoshoot) of this momentous day.
He loosens his tie. It 麻豆精品 S檚 been four straight hours of hugs and smiles and shaking hands and speeches and interviews and tours and pompoms and standing ovations and fight songs.
He soaks in the silence.
He glances up at the 2017 National Championship signage. UCF Chief Branding Officer Jimmy Skiles 麻豆精品 S�06 paints a picture of what has sustained in 2024 from the game day atmosphere Frost 麻豆精品 S檚 2016-17 teams helped mold.
麻豆精品 S淵ou know what I 麻豆精品 S檓 looking forward to as much as almost anything? 麻豆精品 S� Frost says. 麻豆精品 S淲awa. I wanted to say that in the press conference, but I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 think it was appropriate. 麻豆精品 S�
A chuckle. Skiles replies: 麻豆精品 S淭hey 麻豆精品 S檙e a sponsor. They would have loved that. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檒l say it at the next one, 麻豆精品 S� Frost says with a smile.
Familiar comforts.
This place.
He 麻豆精品 S檚 home.
You Can Go Home Again
In nine years, a month hasn 麻豆精品 S檛 passed without Sean Beckton 麻豆精品 S�93 speaking to Frost.
The pair did not know each other before Frost arrived on campus in 2015 to replace retiring head coach George O 麻豆精品 S橪eary following a 0-12 season.
Fans, former players and donors were all in Beckton 麻豆精品 S檚 corner 麻豆精品 S� a star wide receiver for the Knights from 1987-90 and UCF Athletics Hall of Famer with a combined 20 years as an assistant coach for his alma mater.
The two chatted. At the end of the meeting, Frost said he could see why he kept hearing endorsements on Beckton 麻豆精品 S檚 behalf. He offered a job to coach the tight ends.
麻豆精品 S淗e said, 麻豆精品 S業 know you haven 麻豆精品 S檛 done that before, but I know you will do a great job coaching, 麻豆精品 S� and I just thought that this was a person who believed in me, 麻豆精品 S� Beckton says.
Since then, they 麻豆精品 S檝e won games and championships together. They 麻豆精品 S檝e also experienced the other extreme together. Through the ride, they 麻豆精品 S檝e created a bond and a friendship that is fit for a lifetime.
The two were in contact through Frost 麻豆精品 S檚 interview and vetting process for his second tenure at UCF. And then over the weekend Beckton started hearing it was a done deal.
麻豆精品 S淚 texted him, 麻豆精品 S楬ey, I 麻豆精品 S檓 hearing a lot that you 麻豆精品 S檝e gotten the job. Are you coming? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Beckton says. 麻豆精品 S淔rost said, 麻豆精品 S榊eah, get ready to go. I need your help to get rolling. 麻豆精品 S� I said, 麻豆精品 S榃ell I 麻豆精品 S檓 already rolling. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
Beckton, above all, is a UCF man. After he followed Frost to Nebraska 麻豆精品 S� he never gave up his UCF season tickets 麻豆精品 S� he returned to the Knights 麻豆精品 S� staff for the 2024 season.
He, perhaps more than anyone, knows what makes Frost the right fit for UCF.
麻豆精品 S淗is love for this place, 麻豆精品 S� Beckton says without pause. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 going to tell you, it was hard for him after we went 13-0 to make that decision to go to Nebraska. He genuinely did not want to leave 麻豆精品 S� all the way up to the championship game against Memphis that morning. In a staff meeting, he broke down and said, 麻豆精品 S楳an, I don 麻豆精品 S檛 want to leave this place. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 one of the things that makes me feel that he 麻豆精品 S檚 going to do whatever he can to stay here for the rest of his career. 麻豆精品 S�
The standout quote from Frost 麻豆精品 S檚 press conference Sunday has resonated with so many because it 麻豆精品 S檚 true: 麻豆精品 S淲hen you 麻豆精品 S檙e climbing the ladder of success in life, sometimes they forget to tell you to stop when you 麻豆精品 S檙e happy. 麻豆精品 S�
A Reset
Frost coached the Cornhuskers for a little more than four seasons. He left Lincoln in 2022 and remained off the grid and away from the game.
He moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. He and Ashley focused on their kids. They rallied around her younger brother, who was diagnosed with cancer and thankfully today is in recovery.
麻豆精品 S�We went there to be in a family bubble, 麻豆精品 S� Ashley says. 麻豆精品 S淭he kids loved having him home. It was an awesome decision. Scott got to get a reset from everything. 麻豆精品 S�
But the calling to the sport never totally faded. He just needed to wait for the right opportunity. There was only one in college he was willing to return for.
Frost dipped his toe back into football this season as a coaching consultant with the Los Angeles Rams. He was happy. His family was happy.
麻豆精品 S淚n my mind, I thought this is it 麻豆精品 S� NFL, 麻豆精品 S� Ashley says. 麻豆精品 S淲hen this opened up, and there was talk about coming back, I started praying. I was like, God if this is meant to be, I trust you to lead it. If it 麻豆精品 S檚 not, please slam the door shut. He would never take a job if he didn 麻豆精品 S檛 feel like he was called to be there. We learned that lesson. Truly. 麻豆精品 S�
Culture Keeper
Following Gus Malzahn 麻豆精品 S檚 departure from the program on Dec. 1, UCF Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir called a meeting the next morning with the football student-athletes.
He asked them to speak candidly about what characteristics they wanted to see in their next head coach. They mentioned discipline, accountability and culture among their list.
Mohajir says that gave him his marching orders. He got to work on a national search.
麻豆精品 S淣o one wanted to lead our program more than Scott, and that commitment speaks volumes about his character, his dedication, but most importantly, his love for UCF, 麻豆精品 S� Mohajir says. 麻豆精品 S淗e doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 just want to coach football here. He wants to be a part of the community. He wants to inspire student-athletes. He wants to carry forward the momentum that defines UCF football. 麻豆精品 S�
Six days later, Mohajir was once again in front of a small group of student-athletes and others Zooming in from their homes on holiday break to introduce their new head coach.
Frost addressed the team in a concise, impactful speech. He spoke of working hard, but having fun while doing it (a staple of the 2017 undefeated team). Doing the little things right. A charge to build something and be part of something bigger than themselves. And a commitment to keep the core group of players at UCF.
Redshirt senior offensive lineman Paul Rubelt 麻豆精品 S�23 walked away 麻豆精品 S渞eady to run through a brick wall 麻豆精品 S� for Frost.
麻豆精品 S淓verything he said in that meeting I agree with. I 麻豆精品 S檓 already 100% bought in, 麻豆精品 S� says Rubelt, who has been a part of the program since 2020. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 excited for change; what 麻豆精品 S檚 to come. I 麻豆精品 S檓 thankful for coach Malzahn and the opportunities he gave me. But on the other side, I already regret only playing one year for coach Frost. 麻豆精品 S�
On The Job
Within two minutes of his re-introduction to the world as the Knights 麻豆精品 S� head coach on Sunday, Frost addressed the expectations of Knight Nation.
麻豆精品 S淚 hope everybody doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 think we 麻豆精品 S檙e going to go undefeated immediately, 麻豆精品 S� Frost said, eliciting laughter from everyone in attendance at his press conference.
Yes, there is work to do 麻豆精品 S� especially to reach the aspirations he and others have for the team and the athletic department as a whole.
Mohajir 麻豆精品 S檚: 麻豆精品 S淪cott 麻豆精品 S檚 return signals a bright future 麻豆精品 S� one where we can continue to dream big and achieve even bigger, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚 really believe we can be a national champion program. 麻豆精品 S�
Rubelt 麻豆精品 S檚: 麻豆精品 S淚n my final year, I want to help UCF be in the best possible spot. The best possible spot would be to go to the College Football Playoff. In 20 years, I want to look back and say, look where this place has gone to and I was part of that. 麻豆精品 S�
Beckton 麻豆精品 S檚: 麻豆精品 S淔or me, on the back end of my career and being associated with the program, I want to see it to continue to grow for not only football, but all the sports. We have some elite programs, and we want to continue to win championships and really show the country where this place is headed. I want us to be in a situation where, five, six, seven years from now we 麻豆精品 S檙e saying that UCF is playing for the national championship 麻豆精品 S� not only in football, but basketball and some of the other sports also. 麻豆精品 S�
Everyone is betting on UCF with Frost at the helm.
And Frost is betting on himself.
麻豆精品 S淚 know what I 麻豆精品 S檓 capable of and I know what we can get done here, 麻豆精品 S� Frost says. 麻豆精品 S淯CF can become great if we do things the right way. There 麻豆精品 S檚 a little bit of me that wants to prove the type of coach that I think I am. I 麻豆精品 S檓 going to get the chance to do that in a special place. 麻豆精品 S�
Alongside his family, who he is eager to share this experience with. He 麻豆精品 S檚 looking forward to his children seeing their dad coach on the sideline and building their own relationships with his players. He 麻豆精品 S檚 eager to coach football again at a high level and impact the lives of young people. He 麻豆精品 S檚 happy to be putting down roots with Ashley in a place they love to live.
麻豆精品 S淟iving here was probably one of my favorite times of life, and I 麻豆精品 S檓 happy to be back, 麻豆精品 S� Ashley says. 麻豆精品 S淚 just want happiness for the players and coaches. I want success. And culture in the midst of NIL. I think it can be done. Especially here. 麻豆精品 S�
His first days on the job he 麻豆精品 S檚 doing everything, everywhere all at once. Assembling a coaching staff. Player meetings. Navigating the transfer portal, which opened this week. Acclimating to the evolution of NIL. Figuring out moving his family across the country. He 麻豆精品 S檚 announcing the return of McKenzie Milton 麻豆精品 S�19 麻豆精品 S�22MA as his quarterbacks coach. Embracing Shaquem Griffin 麻豆精品 S�16 in the parking lot. Talking bass fishing and kids with Michael Colubiale 麻豆精品 S�17.
And sitting there, among the chaos, is a gray, plastic Wawa takeout bag on the desk outside his office doors.
This place.
He 麻豆精品 S檚 home.
