The University of Nebraska leadership said it was prepared to invest in a top-flight football staff and operation.
As more numbers come out, it’s clear the school is ponying up money to do just that.
In addition to new head coach Scott Frost’s seven-year, $35 million contract, athletic director Bill Moos on Sunday afternoon confirmed that 10 assistant coaches and the program’s head strength and conditioning coach will be paid from a pool of $5 million for 2018.
“(Scott) believes like I believe that there are no quick fixes,†Moos said. “We will build this football program on solid footing and if we do stub our toe, it won’t be a house of cards. I felt like we needed seven years, and if I’m going to hire one of the premier coaches in the country, we’re going to pay him a premier salary.â€
According to Moos, though, that wasn’t Frost’s prerogative as his agent handled negotiations in recent weeks.
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“Everything that Scott was talking to his agent about was to take care of his assistants and make sure that he had a pool, and it’s a big pool,†Moos said, adding that the number ranks in the top two or three in the Big Ten. “To his credit, it wasn’t about him. And it was really my choice to move and go to the seven years. And that was more to build a trust that I believe that he was the right guy to rebuild the program. I’ve been through it, and it isn’t going to happen overnight.â€
The university has not yet released the full details of Frost's contract or announced any assistant hirings.Â
In 2017, NU’s nine assistant coaches made a combined $3.7 million. The NCAA is allowing teams to hire a 10th assistant coach beginning Jan. 8. Strength coaches are being paid more and more as weight training, injury prevention and nutrition become more and more integral to college football.
Five Central Florida assistants so far are confirmed to be joining Frost here: Greg Austin (offensive line), Barrett Ruud (linebackers) and Ryan Held (running backs) — all three also former Huskers. Quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco and defensive line coach Mike Dawson also are coming. More Knight assistants are expected to join the fold, including defensive coordinator Erik Chinander.Â
UCF head strength coach and Lincoln native Zach Duval arrived with Frost on Saturday night and is expected to have the same position here.
“Contract length is nice because it helps me to have confidence that they’re going to give us the runway that we need to get this program off the ground and back to where it needs to be, but at the end of that day, none of that matters,†Frost said. “Because, when I made a decision about what I wanted to do, this is where I wanted to be, and I wanted to be home. That’s the decision made, we’re going to go 100 miles an hour and full-speed from here.â€
Contact the writer at pgabriel@journalstar.com or 402-473-7439. On Twitter @HuskerExtraPG.