In 2017, when the Tennessee Vols were looking for a head coach to replace Butch Jones, I thought then-UCF head coach Scott Frost would be a slam dunk hire.

Frost took over a UCF team that went winless the previous season and he got them to a bowl game. The next season (2017) he led UCF to a perfect 13-0 season. That kind of quick turnaround is impressive regardless of where it happens.

Tennessee, however, never really had a chance to land Frost. His alma mater, Nebraska, needed a new head coach. And so did the Florida Gators.

Those two schools always had the edge over UT.

Frost, unsurprisingly, ended up at Nebraska.

But it did not go as anyone expected. Frost was fired this week after going 16-31 and never winning more than five games in a season. It was a painful end for Frost, who led Nebraska to a share of the 1997 national championship (oddly enough, he beat Peyton Manning and the Vols in the Orange Bowl that season to clinch a share of the natty).

With Frost out, the Cornhuskers need a new head coach. And there are four SEC head coaches that could be a factor in this search.

Bryan Harsin — Auburn head coach

Bryan Harsin was a bad fit at Auburn the moment he was hired. He's not a bad coach at all, but he's a better fit out west.

And after the way Auburn's boosters tried to oust him earlier this year (the entire athletic department situation there is wild right now), it wouldn't surprise me if he's already looking for an escape route.

I think Harsin could have some success at Nebraska. He was 69-19 at Boise State and he nearly beat Alabama last season. This could be the job he has his eye on if he truly wants to leave Auburn.

Eli Drinkwitz — Missouri head coach

I have a feeling that Drinkwitz isn't going to be in the SEC for long.

He's had moderate success and he's not a bad coach, but he's unlikely to ever win more than seven or eight games in a year at Mizzou. He could go to Nebraska, though, and maybe have a better shot at 10 wins.

Nebraska is also probably the better job. And Drinkwitz has already shown us that he's not afraid to bolt if a better opportunity arises (he left App State after just one season as the head coach). I'd keep my eye on Drinkwitz this winter if the Tigers go 7-6 again.

Mark Stoops — Kentucky head coach

Stoops is eventually going to leave Kentucky. It's just a matter of where and when.

I don't know if Nebraska will be the job that entices him to leave Lexington, but it certainly could be.

Stoops is never going to win the SEC East. Not as long as Georgia, Florida and even Tennessee reside there. Maybe he views Nebraska as the easier path to the playoff.

Or maybe he wants to return a once-great program to the top of the college football world.

There's no doubt that Stoops recognizes the historical significance of Nebraska. He might want to etch his name in college football history by attempting to do at Nebraska what his brother Bob did at Oklahoma.

Lane Kiffin — Ole Miss

This one is probably a stretch, but I still think it's worth mentioning.

Kiffin loves being in the SEC, but winning at Ole Miss is a challenge. The former Vols head coach is being forced to use the transfer portal more than he'd prefer.

Recruiting at Ole Miss isn't easy when you're going up against Alabama and LSU for a lot of the same recruits. And then Tennessee is recruiting well in Memphis these days which also makes life harder at Ole Miss.

Kiffin was born in Lincoln due to the fact his father, Monte, was the defensive coordinator at Nebraska. Monte left after the 1976 season, so it's not like Lane grew up there. But there's still a connection.

I doubt Kiffin would make this jump. But if the money is right, perhaps he could see it as an easier job.

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