Frost earns national coach of year honors
has been named the 2017 Home Depot Coach of the Year for his part helping the UCF football team go from 0-12 in 2015 to a 12-0 record during the 2017 season. The No. 12-ranked Knights are the only undefeated team at the Football Bowl Subdivision level this season — holding onto is perfect record as previously undefeated Alabama, Wisconsin and Miami all suffered late-season losses.
During two seasons leading the Knights, Frost amassed a 18-7 record.
UCF was Frost’s first stop as a head coach. He announced his departure to Nebraska Saturday, with news of his exit breaking during UCF’s 62-55 double-overtime victory against Memphis in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game.
Frost and his staff plan to return to Orlando soon to coach players one last time in the Peach Bowl to played on Jan. 1. Frost will accept his coaching award Thursday during the 27th edition of The Home Depot College Football Awards, which will air live on ESPN at 7 p.m. from the College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Experience in Atlanta.
Frost, 42, also is a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award from the Football Writers Association of America and had already been named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
UCF sold out its 12,500-ticket allotment to the Peach Bowl, setting a record as the first Group of 5 program to sell out its tickets in the College Football Playoff era.
The sellout was officially announced after the 5 p.m. Wednesday deadline for Golden Knights Club donors to place deposits and apply for tickets.
Bowl officials called UCF’s sellout of its allotment during three days one of the fastest in the history of the game.
“UCF fans have made a huge statement coming out in full force to support their undefeated and 12th-ranked Knights,” Peach Bowl CEO and president said in a news release. “We’re quickly approaching a game sellout and expect it to be a full house with an unbelievable atmosphere.”
It’s unclear whether the Knights will be able to provide tickets for every fan who put down a deposit through UCF during the past three days.
Tickets will be sold to fans based on their level of points, which are earned based on UCF donations and ticket purchases. Fans will be notified Monday whether they made the cut and will be able to finish purchasing their bowl tickets.
Fans who don’t end up with tickets for the game between No. 12 UCF and No. 7 Auburn on Jan. 1 can find a limited number of general admission tickets at Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.com/tickets. Fans can also purchase secondary market tickets through Ticketmaster.com.
UCF students camped out for the right to purchase their portion of the Knights’ Peach Bowl allotment and donors quickly signed into their accounts to apply for tickets.
UCF officials stressed the importance of buying tickets through the school, noting the Knights would be responsible for paying for their allotment of tickets regardless of whether they could actually sell them to fans.
Buying directly from the Peach Bowl or a secondary retailer would not help UCF fulfill its bowl ticket sales obligations.
In the past, other Group of 5 teams have racked up significant bills going to major bowls because they struggled to sell all their tickets.
UCF’s previous win over Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl and the relative proximity of the game being played in Atlanta likely helped drive up ticket sales depsite Frost’s departure to Nebraska.