The University of Nebraska Athletic Department announced Sunday, Sep. 11, that it had fired Scott Frost following the Cornhuskers’ disappointing 45-42 loss against Georgia Southern.   

In a statement, Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts explained the circumstances surrounding the decision: 

“Earlier today I met with Coach Frost and informed him we were making a change in leadership of our football program, effective immediately. Scott has poured his heart and soul into the Nebraska Football program both as a quarterback and head coach, and I appreciate his work and dedication.” 

Frost ended his coaching career at UNL with a 16-31 record, winning only 34% of the games he faced off in.  

Frost’s current contract, which was renegotiated in 2019, calls for a $15 million buyout, which would be cut in half to $7.5 million after October 1. According to Alberts, the Huskers are responsible for covering the entire buyout. “The University has a long history of living up to what we’ve agreed to. The contract is what the contract is.”  

This also means that the Huskers’ largest boosters, some of whom are “friends with Frost,” according to the Omaha World Herald, must have either encouraged the firing or at the least not blocked it from happening.  

Furthermore, Alberts announced that Associate Head Coach Mickey Joseph will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Mickey Joseph is the older brother of Vance Joseph, former Denver Broncos head coach and current Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator.

Joseph will be the first Black head coach – of any NCAA recognized sport – at the University of Nebraska. According to The Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Sport, only 11.9% of NCAA Division I football head coaches are Black, compared to the 46% of Power 5 student athletes who are Black. Since 1981, only 39 Black head coaches and 29 Black athletic directors have been hired; only 30 of the 65 power five programs have hired a Black head coach.  

In the meantime, Nebraska will conduct a national search for a new head coach. Joseph does have an opportunity to prove himself as a strong candidate through the final nine games of the season, a coaching option that Alberts says he “loves.”  

 “It’s been a tough day today,” Alberts said. “This is a day that I’d hoped would never come.”