When Scott Frost joined UCF as head football coach just two seasons ago, fans asked if he could turn the program around, and if so, how long did he need?   

With Frost leaving UCF to become the new head coach at Nebraska, those questions have been answered:  “yes,” and “not long.” 

He leaves with a 18-7 record in two seasons and a American Athletic Conference championship. 

Frost, who will be introduced as the Nebraska coach Sunday in Lincoln, will get a 7-year contract worth $35 million

"This has truly been one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever made," Frost said at a news conference Saturday evening after the AAC title game. "I’m very proud of what this group of student-athletes and coaches has accomplished during my tenure at UCF. The Knights should be in the conversation for the AAC championship year in and year out."

It was just more than two years ago that Frost took over a winless UCF program.   

The team not only lost all 12 games in 2015 but also had the worst offense in the nation.   That’s why Frost, a former quarterback himself with Nebraska, and then offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oregon, was appealing.

“You’ve to learn how to win, guys have to believe they can get it done,” Frost told USA Today soon after taking the job.  “I want our guys to be straining to find ways to win.”

They quickly did.  The Knights finished 6-6 in the 2016 regular season, enough to earn an appearance to play Arkansas State in the Cure Bowl.   That was only a preview of what was to follow.

In preseason polls this past fall, 247 Sports projected continued improvement and an 8-4 record, to go with second place in the AAC Eastern Division, behind cross-state rival USF.  Still, Ben Kercheval of CBS Sports wasn’t convinced.  He wrote “It feels like UCF is being pumped up a little too much because of the quick turnaround.  A big jump would be needed in Year 2.”

Frost delivered the big jump, with an undefeated 12-0 record for first place in the AAC East, including the Knight’s exciting 49-42 win over USF, followed by the 62-55 win in the AAC title game.

With success come rumors of what’s next.    AAC schools like UCF are mid-majors, and winning there quickly brings opportunity elsewhere.  Asked to address that talk shortly after the victory over USF, Frost acknowledged a lot was accomplished very quickly.

“I can’t tell you how much pride I take in the fact that we came here and took on the task of fixing something that wasn’t in a good place when we took over,” he said.  “I don’t think the players were in a good place and this university is special and this community is special and it gives me a lot of pride to know that we came in and righted the ship.  I knew this place could be the type of place that could compete for conference championships every year.”