Former Huskers head football coach Scott Frost has launched a legal battle against the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, accusing the institution of breaching his contract and botching buyout payments that saddled him with a hefty tax liability.
Frost, fired in September of 2022, amid a dismal 16-31 record over five seasons, was due payments through his contract’s expiration on December 31, 2026.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in Lancaster County District Court, claims the university abruptly halted 2025 and 2026 liquidated damages, yet in a contradictory email, assured him those sums would cover his obligations — triggering a $1.7 million IRS tax hit on funds he never pocketed.
The complaint blasts the university’s stance as “muddled, internally inconsistent and transparently self-serving,” forcing Frost into legal fees, audit stress, and financial limbo.
“But, in the same email, the University expressly stated that the payments could be adjusted at a later date, without any further explanation,” the filing states.
Frost seeks court clarification on contract rights, an order for owed payments, and at least $5 million in damages. No hearing date is set.
University officials have yet to publicly address the lawsuit, but the case could drag into Nebraska’s gridiron offseason, spotlighting administrative accountability in college athletics’ high-stakes world.
