Nebraska legend Tom Osborne said Sunday he didn’t call former Husker quarterback and current Central Florida head coach Scott Frost on Saturday and tell him to “come home” to the Huskers, as Football Scoop reported.
“But Scott and I have been in touch,” Osborne said. “We talked regularly throughout the season. Right now, he has to focus on a big game.”
That’s the American Athletic Conference championship pitting UCF (11-0) against Memphis (10-1). The Knights beat the Tigers 40-19 during the regular season.
Osborne is not interfering with that. Neither is Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos, who said he’s considering Frost, but won’t bug him before the AAC title game is played.
“He’s in the heat of trying to win a conference championship, he’s a Nebraskan, and he’s getting a lot of attention from several other schools,” Moos said. “Scott is someone I am considering, but I’m being very sensitive to the fact that he’s still coaching a team and he’s on a heck of a run.”
Osborne called Frost’s season “almost a miracle” considering UCF finished 0-12 in 2015.
“But Scott knows what he’s doing,” Osborne said.
The Husker legend got an up-close look at the UCF program before the season when Frost invited Osborne to speak to the Knights team and also attend and serve as keynote speaker at a fundraiser. Osborne came away impressed with the chemistry of the staff and the players. Everyone, Osborne said, was rowing in the same direction.
“Scott is obviously a great coach and very good person,” Osborne said. “He has good values and he’s really steady. He’s the whole package.”
Osborne this time is “sensitive” and he doesn’t want to insert his voice into the search process. He’s talked to Moos a few times since Moos arrived at Nebraska. He wouldn’t say how recently.
Scott Frost reportedly says no to Florida; Tennessee close to hiring Ohio State’s Greg Schiano
It’s been a busy Sunday on the coaching carousel.
Here’s what’s gone down so far.
Most notably for Nebraska, USA Today’s Dan Wolken reported that Central Florida coach Scott Frost turned down Florida’s advances to be its new head coach. ESPN had reported on Friday that Florida would meet with Frost after missing on Chip Kelly, who went to UCLA.
But The Associated Press’ Mark Long reported that Florida was “seemingly unwilling to risk waiting” for Frost to turn them down. Frost will coach UCF in the American Athletic Conference championship game Saturday.
So it turned to Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, who was the offensive coordinator there from 2005-08 and won two national titles. The Gators officially announced the hiring of Mullen a little after 5 p.m.
Frost turning down Florida is obviously a good sign for Nebraska, which has made clear the former Husker is a candidate to replace Mike Riley.
Football Scoop reported Sunday that former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne called Frost this weekend and told him to “come home,” but Osborne told The World-Herald on Sunday that is not true. He has not spoken to Frost this weekend, he said.
In other coaching news, reports surfaced earlier Sunday that former Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin was expected to accept the open position at Arizona State, which fired Todd Graham on Sunday. That report was later disputed by FOX Sports’ Bruce Feldman, who said there had been no talks between Tennessee and Sumlin or his representatives.
Sumlin was brought up by Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos during his press conference Saturday to discuss Riley’s firing. Moos called Sumlin “a real good coach and an excellent recruiter.” Sumlin was fired by Texas A&M on Sunday.
Moos has a list of six coaches he’s looking at to replace Riley. Frost was the only coach Moos confirmed was under consideration. Sumlin may be, though, plus Iowa State’s Matt Campbell and Virginia Tech’s Justin Fuente have reportedly been linked to the Nebraska opening as well.
USA Today also reported Tennessee is finalizing a deal with Greg Schiano, the Ohio State defensive coordinator and former Rutgers head coach. Tennessee was reportedly after former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden and Mullen before choosing Schiano.
