Matt Rhule and his Nebraska Cornhuskers enter a fourth season in 2026. It’s taken a while, but we are starting to see the Matt Rhule needed at Nebraska. I’ve said all along Rhule can’t be compared to Osborne and other top coaches. Heck, his resume pales in comparison to Curt Cignetti, a man nobody had even heard of three seasons ago. It takes time.
You don’t meld the mettle that Tom Osborne was made of without being thrown in the forge and heated up. I said last season when talking about ‘iron sharpening iron’ that Rhule was still being hammered into shape. But the Matt Rhule we’ve seen over the last couple of days shows signs of having a backbone, taking this program by the throat, and ignoring the overdemanding fan base. He’s realized the time to be gentle is over with.
Stop and think of what Rhule has endured in three seasons as the head coach of Nebraska. Right out of the gate he was thrown under the microscope of media and fans and identified as the guy that would lead Nebraska back to prominence in year three. Don’t think Rhule didn’t feel that pressure last season. Did he handle it well? He did not. Did we all expect too much too early? Absolutely. It took Osborne years.
Right out of the gate Rhule was on an island, losing the athletic director and the president that hired him in Ted Carter and Trev Alberts. Believe it or not, it was a setback and a reason to tread lightly.
He also returned to college coaching never having delt with the transfer portal and NIL. No big deal, right? Think again, heck, even the great Nick Saban of Bama didn’t have the kahunas to hang in the new era. It’s easy to set on ESPN and talk about if it were me, I’d do this or that. But we don’t see Nick doing it, do we.
And then there are the fans and people like me. Never allowing Rhule to forget our great history of going 60-5 and winning three national championships. We go on television, radio, podcasts, and the internet doubting him and questioning his every move. And the whole time yelling at the top of our lungs, “Just run the damn ball!”
So, here we are Husker fans. There are results from all the hammering. We’re starting to see something. Sorry if you don’t like it.
It started with letting the Raiola family know they were no longer calling the shots. Rhule’s first shot fired, showing a Husker legend, whose name is on the stadium, that he wasn’t the one in charge and Rhule would be making the decisions going forward. Second shot fired, going to Butler, Georgia, then returning and announcing publicly they weren’t taking a QB nobody else wanted. And the kill shot, letting everyone know Dylan wasn’t the answer and it would be best if he moved on. Good on Rhule for doing what was best for Nebraska football. No matter how badly it upsets the fans or how it’s perceived. As one of his biggest critics, I’m 100% behind him on this one.
It’s been clear Rhule and Pat Stewart are calling the shots in the portal. Who cares what the fan base thinks and what running back they need to pursue. They are sticking with the guys they got in the running back room. They have worked at retaining the guys they think they need on this team and they’ve let the talented guys who don’t really want to be here go. People like to point to players like Princewell Umanmielen and the success he had at Ole Miss this season. But he wasn’t that player at Nebraska. And where is he now. Back in the portal. And QB Anthony Colandrea wasn’t the fan’s first choice out of the portal, but Rhule will win or lose with his players and Colandrea is one of them. Again. I’m 100% behind him on this one. That kid has moxie.
Rhule has also shown us he’ll win or lose with his coaches.
He hired Dana Holgorsen and told him to bring in who he needed. He brought in Daikiel Shorts. A great hire. Rhule hired Rob Aurich as DC and told him, go get who you want. He’s hired Roy Manning, Corey Brown, and Miles Taylor. Why is that so shocking to the fans? Is it because we don’t like the fact they came from places like San Deigo State, Miami Ohio, and South Dakota and we’ve never heard of them. Sorry they don’t meet your big expectations, Husker fans, but everybody starts somewhere. Do I need to remind you Tony White brought in Jack Potenza and Josh Bringuel with him? Did they also not go with him? Coaches thrive on coaches. They are just as much a team as the players. It makes sense. And as fans, do we really care who is on the staff if they win?
Evidently, we do, because we’ve all been dancing on eggshells over the Mike Ekeler situation. We don’t like it. He is one of our own. Surely Rhule can see what he brought to the program. Surely, he understands Ekeler needs to be retained at all costs. Perhaps he does, but good again on Matt Rhule for ignoring Big Red Nation and not being held hostage.
Rhule got out in front on this, told us there has been a contract on Ekler’s desk since October, making him one of the top two highest paid special teams coordinators in the nation. Do I know all the details? No, but what I do know is, it’s what Ekeler was brought here to do. Is Ekeler butt-hurt because he wants to coach a position? Did he think he should have been the new defensive coordinator? Who knows. Fact is, I don’t care. He has a job. He’s being paid exceptionally well for doing it. He’s being offered a position at Nebraska, a place he claims to love and wants to be. So, if that isn’t enough. Then walk. This is on Ekeler, not Rhule.
And finally, last year Rhule showed you he was the one who would determine if there would be a spring game or not. He defied the fan base and the Big Ten Network, telling us it wasn’t going to happen. Yes, he broke down a little at the end, but none of us got what we really wanted. I was super critical of not having the game, saying it would show in the end. And in fact, I think it did.
But the mighty ‘OZ’ of Nebraska football showed us again, he’s the man behind the big red curtain pulling the levers. This year he told us there will be a spring game, and not only that, but when. It’ll be March 28th. Love it or leave it, too bad, it’s what you get Nebraska fans and Big Ten Network. I don’t care when we have it, I’m just glad he recognizes its importance.
Yes, I think Rhule is taking shape. Is it happening as quickly as we all wanted or expected? It is not. Is Rhule as sharp as he needs to be? Not yet, but he keeps chopping away and that’s good. I’ve been as critical as anyone with articles of disappointment. This time it’s different. I like the defiant Matt Rhule. A man with backbone and fire willing to take on all comers. Even Husker Nation.
GO BIG RED!! SIMPILE, FAST, VIOLENT!!
In case you haven’t noticed, I’ll be adding our new defensive motto this season as well.
Photo courtesy of the Falls City Journal
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