UCF’s Frost on top of fans’ wish list

OMAHA, NEB. — Nebraska fans are gearing up for what to them seems the imminent arrival of native son Scott Frost as the Cornhuskers’ new football coach.

The message board outside the Husker Hounds novelty store flashes “Come Home Scott Frost,” and inside you can buy T-shirts reading “Nebraska Frost Advisory, Restore Glory” and, in a nod to the coming “Star Wars” movie, “May The Frost Be With You.”

Bartenders around town are setting drinks on “Hire Scott Frost Now!” coasters, and Facebook pages in support of Frost have popped up.

Frost, whose Central Florida Knights are unbeaten and hosting Memphis in the American Athletic Conference Championship game Saturday, has been the topic du jour every day for a month on the all-sports radio stations in Omaha and Lincoln. Even hosts on Omaha’s 50,000watt news talk station have Frost mania.

“I would compare it to a little kid on Christmas Eve who knows what he’s getting. You can see the package, can see the wrapping paper on it, you know what it is, but you get so anxious to open it,” said Joe Quinn, co-host of the afternoon show on Omaha’s 590 ESPN, the flagship station for the Husker Sports Network. “You just beg your mom or dad. I want to open it. I know what it is. I just want to see it.”

Anticipation about Frost has heightened since Mike Riley was fired last Saturday, the day after the Huskers lost 56-14 to Iowa and finished the season 4-8.

Athletic Director Bill Moos acknowledged Frost was on his list of candidates. Frost hasn’t done much to tamp down speculation.

“I’d be hurt if Nebraska wasn’t interested in me,” Frost said at his Monday news conference in Orlando. “We’re undefeated, and I’m from there. When you win, a lot of people are interested in you.”

Frost also deflected a question about whether he would say he would return to UCF in 2018. “I’m just not going to talk about it. All I want to talk about is this (2017) football team.”