I've covered my fair share of coaching change press conferences at Nebraska the last 15 years.
Every single one people try to come out of it with an optimistic feeling that "it's going to work" this time.
Sunday's Scott Frost press conference was the first time I can honestly say it just felt right - this is what hiring a new coach is supposed to feel like at Nebraska.
There was no trying to familiarize yourself with a coach who's never stepped foot in this state before. There was no asking yourself the question if this NFL guy could get it done or if this coordinator was ready to be a head coach?
This is the first head coaching press conference I can honestly say everything felt right. I've never been in a room filled with as much excitement and optimism around Nebraska football in my 19 seasons around the program than Sunday's Frost press conference.
For the first time in a long time, this program feels unified.
"There's been roadblocks here that have been in the way of football success, and they were created unnecessarily," Frost said. "I think Bill (Moos), Ronnie (Green), and Hank (Bounds) are going to be the type of guys that remove those obstacles instead of placing more in your way.
"I think this state has been split on support of certain people. I think we can bring that back. Walking into the weight room and seeing over 150 former players that are cheering for me in unison shows me that we can get the unity and purpose back to this place."
And that might of been the most moving moment of Sunday's celebration. Previous Nebraska Athletic Directors egos were too big to include the former players at the level Bill Moos did on Sunday. Moos, other the other hand is a "football guy," and he fully grasped the magnitude of the moment.
Having Frost greeted by over 150 former NU letter winners is what brought this day over the top. I've never seen a moment like that at Nebraska, and none of their previous coaching hires after Frank Solich could've generated a moment like that.
"Those former players that surprised him, we had that all orchestrated, that was very moving, it really was," Moos said. "It choked me up a little bit, and (my wife) Kendra had a little tear in her eye.
"That's the brotherly love of teammates, but also those that came before him that were in that room. Most of them were in their letter jackets; it was pretty cool."
Other takeaways from Sunday's Frost press conference
***When Moos met with Frost at the famous Philadelphia meeting, he brought with him two secret weapons. Joining Moos for the near-90 minute meeting was his wife Kendra, and Frost's best friend former Husker Matt Davison.
Moos's approach to land Frost was genius. He had the advantage of having Frost's best friend working as a liaison through the process, and he brought his wife Kendra to lighten up the mood of the meeting.
"She gives a tough interview," Moos joked of his wife, Kendra. "She had her finger out and said 'you make sure first and foremost you are a good daddy to that new baby.' I'm glad she was in there."
***And speaking of Davison, he said it's undetermined at this point if he'll continue to be Nebraska's color football analyst in 2018. A lot is going to depend on what his responsibilities are on game day.
***The other thing Moos said that probably helped Nebraska land Frost over all the other suitors was NU's approach. They sat back and let Frost handle things at his pace, where other schools came off pushy.
"I think some of these other places were nagging and hounding and that kind of stuff," Moos said. "I could sense and knew through Matt (Davison) that did not resonate with him."
***Moos more or less said on Sunday the negative environment for coaches in the SEC was a turnoff for Frost, which probably kept him away from places like Florida and Tennessee when they put out feelers.
"You have Jim McElwain win the SEC East two straight years, his first and second years, and he doesn't have a job at mid-season," Moos said. "When I made that comment 'the SEC eats their young,' that's kind of what I was talking about. Kevin Sumlin was the darling, he was the Scott Frost of college football five years ago, and he doesn't have a job."
***Frost declined to announce any staff decisions he's made at this point.
"There will be a time for that," Frost said.