Scott Frost walked into Big 12 Media Days thinking he could dodge questions about his Nebraska nightmare. Instead, the UCF coach created an even bigger mess with tone-deaf comments that had college football buzzing for all the wrong reasons.
Why Did Scott Frost’s Media Day Performance Backfire So Spectacularly?
UCF running back Myles Montgomery came to Big 12 Media Days ready to talk football. The Jacksonville native, who transferred from Cincinnati and rushed for 293 yards in 2024, was supposed to be a key story alongside teammates Nyjalik Kelly, Paul Rubelt, and Keli Lawson.
Instead, Montgomery and his fellow Knights found themselves overshadowed by their coach’s media meltdown. With RJ Harvey now off to the NFL as a second-round selection of the Denver Broncos, Montgomery enters 2025Â with a clear path to become UCF’s next featured running back. But his moment got completely hijacked by Frost’s Nebraska drama.
When The Athletic’s Chris Vannini asked what Frost learned from Nebraska, the coach delivered one of the most awkward responses in recent memory.
“I said I wouldn’t leave (UCF) unless it was someplace you could win a national championship. I got tugged in a direction to try to help my alma mater, and didn’t really want to do it. It wasn’t a good move. I’m lucky to get back to a place where I was a lot happier.”
The Athletic‘s Justin Williams perfectly captured what went wrong. Williams explained that Frost seemed completely unprepared to face national media “outside of the UCF bubble.”
“You know, this was, you know, kind of a high-profile, like you said, a lot of national media there. You’re at conference media days, so you’re maybe outside of the UCF bubble a little bit, and you might get some questions about your last stop,” Williams said.
Williams wasn’t finished with his analysis. He pointed out that while Frost “didn’t want to talk about Nebraska,” his clumsy dodge made it the biggest story of the day. He compared it to how BYU’s Kalani Sitake handled tough questions about Jake Retzlaff, having answers ready instead of creating unnecessary controversy.
What Do Frost’s Comments Reveal About His Nebraska Tenure?
Frost’s Nebraska record tells the whole story: 16-31 overall, 5-22 in one-score games, and zero bowl appearances. When asked what he learned during his tenure there, Frost took a direct shot at his alma mater, Nebraska.
“Don’t take the wrong job.” Those comments hit Nebraska fans hard, especially those who supported him through years of losing seasons.
“Don’t take the wrong job”
– Scott Frost speaks upon what he learned from his time at Nebraska pic.twitter.com/xCaFyRGQ2G
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) July 8, 2025
The contrast between his two stops couldn’t be more stark. Frost went 13-0 at UCF in 2017 but couldn’t find success at his alma mater. Now he’s back at UCF, but his past continues to follow him wherever he goes.
RELATED: UCF HC Scott Frost Throws Subtle Shade at Former School Nebraska at Big 12 Media Days
This media circus creates an unwanted distraction for players like Montgomery, who averaged 5.7 yards per carry in 2024. They’re trying to build something special in the Big 12, but their coach keeps getting pulled back into discussions about his failures elsewhere.
