BLAIR, Neb. –– A coaching change at the University of Virginia got Demeitre Brim closer to home. When he transferred to UCF, after starting as a true freshman for the Cavaliers, the Knights were coming off an Orange Bowl appearance however. His first year on campus in Orlando, however, the team went 0-12.
Enter Scott Frost.
Brim said on Tuesday at the coaches tour stop in Blair that Frost was hired at the time when he needed it the most because he was thinking about quitting football altogether and just being a student. He had had three shoulder surgeries, broken his jaw and torn his meniscus. Brim credits Frost with making football fun for his senior year, 2016. Now a graduate assistant working with the inside linebackers the Florida native shared some of what he learned from being a player during the first Frost turnaround with those Husker fans in attendance.
“I think the biggest thing is just family and being able to trust each other," he said. "Trust the person to your left and right. We are trying to get them to buy into a system. I know they didn’t do things exactly how we are doing things now the previous season here. We are really just changing the culture and trying to get everyone to buy in. We want them to see that if you put the work in to what we are trying to do, the results will show for themselves.
“We didn’t have the results we wanted that first season at UCF but there was a foundation that was set. Those guys that were still at UCF took advantage of that, built upon it and ended up being 13-0 the following season. As quick as we can get this team to buy in, trust the process and the strength and conditioning program the quicker they can be successful.”
The level of buy-in is something that has been discussed quite a bit since Frost and his staff took over the program. It’s a hot topic on websites, newspapers and talk radio shows across the state. However, buy-in isn’t something that can be easily explained or measured. So how does Brim, who has seen this process from both sides, recognize it?
“It’s tough because expectations are high and that’s rightfully so. The biggest thing I’ve been telling everyone is that the right guy is at the head of the ship and that’s Coach Frost. He knows what is doing. He knows the kind of system he wants to bring back to his alma mater. Just having the guys that played here –– Coach Frost, [Barrett] Ruud, [Greg] Austin, [Ryan] Held –– they know the standard of this program from being here," Brim said. "Having those guys to help set the standard is going to be very beneficial in trying to get the fans to see where we are trying to get the program back to.”
Brim’s experience as a player under Frost will be an asset in his new position on the staff. Beyond instructing the linebackers on the scheme, he will be able to give first-hand knowledge of going through the exact change the players are going through.
He was there just two years ago.
Greg is the Recruiting Analyst for Hail Varsity and has covered Husker athletics since 2013. He has always had a passion for sports while growing up in the Chicago area. As he got older and had to hang up his cleats and sneakers, he realized his passion for sports went beyond just watching and attending games. He has covered many events from the Rose Bowl to championship boxing matches. If he’s not talking sports, he’s hovering over his grill. He is married to an amazing woman, Kim, and they have a dog that barks when Greg yells at the TV during games.
