Scott Frost sues Nebraska: Ex-Huskers coach files lawsuit against university, seeks $5 million in damages

Frost claims Nebraska mishandled his buyout payments after he was fired in September 2022

Former Nebraska football coach Scott Frost filed a lawsuit Friday alleging the university breached his contract and improperly handled buyout payments in a dispute that centers on millions of dollars in compensation and tax liability. Frost's total buyout from Nebraska was roughly $15 million, covering the remainder of his contract through 2026.

The complaint, filed in Lancaster County (Neb.) District Court, accuses the University of Nebraska and its Board of Regents of withholding payments Frost says he is owed for 2025 and 2026 under his employment agreement. Frost is seeking a declaratory judgment clarifying the contract terms and at least $5 million in damages.

Nebraska fired Frost on Sept. 11, 2022, just three games into the season, ending a tenure in which he went 16-31 at his alma mater. His contract was scheduled to run through Dec. 31, 2026, and included liquidated damages following his dismissal.

According to the lawsuit, the dispute escalated in December 2022, when Nebraska informed Frost it intended to include the present value of the 2025 and 2026 liquidated damages on his 2022 W-2 form. Frost alleges that decision created roughly $1.7 million in income tax liability for money he had not received.

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The filing states that in the same communication, the university said those future payments could be adjusted later "without any further explanation," a position Frost describes as internally inconsistent and self-serving. He contends the payments were guaranteed and not subject to reduction, offset or forfeiture.

Frost also claims he did not receive the disputed W-2 until September 2023, preventing him from timely filing his tax return and resulting in late filing penalties, legal expenses and an IRS audit. The lawsuit alleges Nebraska's handling of the matter was "uncooperative" and "dismissive," leaving Frost exposed to financial and legal harm.

The complaint further argues that an offset provision in the contract expired on Dec. 31, 2024, and that the agreement did not require Frost to mitigate damages by finding another job. Frost later joined the Los Angeles Rams' staff as a senior analyst and is now the coach at UCF, where he completed his first season back with the program in 2025.

Frost is asking the court to order Nebraska to pay the disputed amounts and clarify the parties' rights under the contract. A future court date has not yet been set.

Frost called Nebraska tenure a misstep

At Big 12 Media Days in July 2025, Frost looked back on his time at Nebraska with a mix of regret and explanation, framing the experience as more about circumstance than his coaching.

"Don't take the wrong job," he told reporters, sidestepping questions about the 16-31 record and repeated late-game collapses that defined his tenure in Lincoln.

Frost, who led UCF to a 13-0 season in 2017 before returning to his alma mater, said his move back to college football in 2025 was driven by opportunity, not a desire to erase past failures. Returning to UCF gave him a chance to work in a place where he felt more comfortable, he said.

"I said I wouldn't leave [UCF] unless it was some place you could win a national championship," Frost said. "I got tugged in a direction to try to help my alma mater and didn't really want to do it. It wasn't a good move. I'm lucky to get back to a place where I was a lot happier."

UCF went 5-7 (2-7 Big 12) in Frost's first season back leading the program.