It’s been a long couple of years for the UCF Knights, trying to get things going in the Big 12. Now, going into their second year under head coach Scott Frost, the Knights want to make a major leap.
This is, of course, Frost’s second time having a second season at UCF. The last time, he went undefeated and the Knights claimed a national championship after being left out of the College Football Playoff. It was that 2017 season that helped make the program known nationally.
ESPN College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit recently reflected on UCF and Frost to The Orlando Sentinel. There, he praised Frost while cautioning that it’s a different job than it was when he had success there.
“Anytime you have a coach that’s familiar with what it takes to be able to win, like Scott, it obviously helps,” Herbstreit said. “But the landscape has changed so much from when he was here doing what he did to where we are now. We’re all trying to digest it, but I’m a fan of what he believes in, that old-school approach.”
Frost won at UCF when the Knights were in the AAC. That made them a relatively big dog in a smaller conference, with access to recruits in the state of Florida. Now, they’re a program with a bit less history and fewer resources in a Power Four conference. On top of that, the Transfer Portal and NIL make it harder to retain a roster and recruit. It’s a tougher job than last time for Frost.
Kirk Herbstreit Saw Signs of Improvement for the UCF Knights
GettyUCF Knights head coach Scott Frost
2025 was the first season back in Orlando for Scott Frost. He’d end up leading UCF to a 5-7 record, which was an improvement by one win from the 2024 team that he inherited. Still, it wasn’t a team that was particularly competitive within the Big 12.
Despite that, Kirk Herbstreit did believe there was improvement under Scott Frost. Those signs make him think UCF is on the right track.
“Last year, there were some signs of seeing it,” Herbstreit said. “That’s a Scott Frost type of team, but it’s hard when you’re trying to change things. It takes time to do that. But as long as he’s there, making big personnel decisions and trying to create the right mindset, he’ll get it right. I think he will.”
If there is a major concern around Frost, it’s the lack of success he had after leaving UCF the last time. He took over at his alma mater, Nebraska, in 2018. In four full seasons, he failed to put together even a .500 record. He wouldn’t get a fifth chance. Frost was fired three games into his fifth season after a 1-2 start.
Frost Wants UCF to Have a Chip on its Shoulder
GettyUCF Knights head coach Scott Frost at the Peach Bowl
Scott Frost knows that UCF is once again going to be a major underdog in 2026. That doesn’t bother him, though, because it gives his team a chance to have a chip on its shoulder.
“I want a team with a chip on their shoulder that understands that UCF’s not going to get a lot of attention or respect until we earn it,” Frost said. “I don’t want our guys thinking big picture. I want our guys thinking about today’s practice and the first game and the chips will fall where they may.”
There is plenty of doubt around UCF, but that’s external doubt. Internally, players like Sincere Edwards still have their goal set on a conference championship.
“A Big 12 Championship,” Edwards said. “Everybody is bought in and I really believe that we could go accomplish something new here and something that hasn’t been done in a long time.”
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