CHICAGO -- Scott Frost plans to restore Nebraska's championship formula as the former Huskers quarterback begins his coaching tenure at his alma mater.
Speaking Monday at Big Ten media days, Frost outlined an approach to modernize Nebraska football while using many of the same principles that helped the Cornhuskers win three national titles in the 1990s, the last of which he served as the team's quarterback.
"[Former Nebraska coach Tom] Osborne had the formula figured out," Frost said. "Nebraska stood for a lot of things when it was great. It was an organization of integrity and character and unity across the whole state. ... The program used to reflect the people of the state. Nebraska's best asset is its people. They're hard-working, blue-collar people that depend on each other. That's the way that we're going to build it to try to make it have sustained success."
Frost, who last fall coached UCF to an undefeated season and a Peach Bowl championship, described Osborne as his "hero" in coaching, saying he continues to lean on his former coach for advice. He wants to restore Nebraska's walk-on tradition and enhance areas like strength and conditioning, nutrition and academic support.
"We've gotta fix everything," Frost said. "We've gotta fix the talent, we've gotta fix the depth, keep adding to what we have."
Frost cautioned against expecting overnight success, stressing that it will take time to get Nebraska on track both on the field and in recruiting.
"The parents all remember Nebraska as Nebraska," Frost said." A lot of the kids don't. It's our job to change that. It's our job to make sure that the new generation remembers Nebraska for what it is and what it should be."
Frost also addressed the hiring of former longtime Nebraska assistant Ron Brown as director of player development. Brown, a Huskers assistant from 1987 to 2003 and 2008 to 2014, has been a vocal critic of homosexuality. In 2012, Brown testified against an anti-discrimination ordinance in Omaha that extended protections to gay and transgender people.
Frost said he wanted to hire the best people for Nebraska but said, "There will never exist, in my program, any kind of discriminatory talk. We're going to have a program open and comfortable for everybody involved."