Picture this. Matt Rhule is sitting on a large bull in a recruiting photo shoot before the 2025 season. Seeing it isn’t hard to imagine since it happened. Now picture this, Rhule sitting on the same bull holding a sign that says, “2-10 in November” as the bull raises his tail and dumps a dark green load of pancake batter on the concrete. Did you hear it? That’s the sound the Husker’s 2025 season made as it came to an end.
After Nebraska got their butts handed to them for the third straight game to end the season I decided I needed to voice my disappointment on Matt Rhule. So much so that several people believe I want Rhule fired. While I have been negative and called Rhule out for his first three seasons as the Huskers head man, the last thing I want to see is a coaching change at Nebraska. And frankly I don’t see it happening regardless of the 2026 season’s outcome. Wednesday at the Big Ten spring meeting AD Troy Dannen shared his thoughts.
“One of the things Nebraska has done to harm itself has been quick to react when things didn’t happen soon enough instead of giving someone a chance who is by definition is a program builder the chance to actually build a program,” Dannen said. “It’s hard. Especially when Matt walked into a program that hadn’t been to a bowl game in 10 years. By definition, that’s one of the bottom end of the Power Four programs he walked into.”
Rhule isn’t going anywhere for the next couple of years, and like Dannen I believe Rhule is the right man for the job. His teams aren’t yet tearing it up, but they are making progress. In fact, I’m going to give Rhule a reprieve and start telling you the good things I see and what he is doing right in Lincoln. Why, because I believe “you reap what you sow,” meaning it’s time I stopped spreading all the negativity.
The truth is I’m a Nebraska fan and I believe every year is the year they will turn it around. From 1972 to 1994 I thought every year was the year. Nine wins was just part of being a Husker fan and that is why I’ve been hard on Rhule. He’s had the opportunity to get eight to nine wins in his first three seasons. The upcoming 2026 season is no different and I’m going to start telling you why. Because it’s not as gloomy and dark as I’ve been making it sound, I believe the 2026 Huskers will go 8-4.
You heard me right. While everybody else is talking 4-8, 5-7, or 6-6 because of the schedule, I see 7-5 as the floor, 8-4 the expectation, and 9-3 being where Rhule thought he would be in year three. Year four will be his year, and here’s why.
I’ve said it before, Rhule isn’t an X’s and O’s guy. He knows them, but unlike Osborne, that isn’t who he is. Rhule is a manager of people, an organizer, a planner, and someone who has an innate ability to adapt to his surroundings. He figured it out at Temple and again at Baylor. He failed in the NFL, and I have no doubt he knows why. Nebraska has been a bigger challenge and cracking the code here while on the clock has forced Rhule to make some tough decisions along the way.
For Rhule his success starts with his staff. No place has that been more evident than Baylor. Rhule went out and bought himself a pair of cowboy boots and then hired Joey McGuire and Shawn Bell, two long-time, highly successful Texas high school coaches. The pair was integral to his success. Look no further than McGuire’s ascent from tight ends coach to assistant head coach and then head coach at Texas Tech to see his importance at Baylor under Rhule. The rest of Rhule’s Baylor staff came with him from Temple. People he knew, trusted, and could put up with him.
Because of that he took seven of his Baylor staff members to the NFL with him, which probably proved to be too much college influx. His players didn’t buy in and his clock with owner David Tepper was too short for adjustments.
When coming to Nebraska Rhule was hamstrung from the start. At the time he was hired he had to throw together a staff to recruit at a time when no one was yet available. It meant once again copying what he had done at Baylor. He retained Donavan Raiola and Ron Brown trying to hang on to some semblance of a Nebraska connection. Then he snatched up his available cronies to get started. Fortunately, after year one Rhule recognized change was needed.
It started with demoting Satterfield as OC and hiring Dana Holgorsen which dominoed into replacing Garrett McGuire with Daikiel Shorts. Then it was letting Tony White and Terrance Knighton walk because of a difference in defensive philosophy. He brought in Phil Snow as a consultant and added Phil Simpson. Evan Copper resigned and Rhule took a step backwards in hiring John Butler and Terry Bradden. With the collapse at the end of 2025, he fired Raiola, Butler, and Bradden. People have criticized Rhule for all the coaching changes since his arrival. Trust me, they were needed, and truthfully, I’m not surprised. I said all along Rhule would need time to put together the right staff to fit him and Nebraska.
I believe Rhule has finally put together staff that can teach, develop, and demand more. While there are still some of the old faces around, the new staff additions will set the tone. It starts with new offensive line coaches Geep Wade and Lonnie Teasley. Wade and Teasley will bring the same tag-team coaching style to the Huskers that Milt Tenopir and Dan Young did under Osborne. Nebraska was known for their offensive lines and the famed ‘Pipeline’ during the pair’s seventeen years together. I believe Wade and Teasley have that same potential.
With what the pair of O-line coaches add OC Dana Holgorsen will finally be able to run and operate the offense he wants. We’ve heard Holgorsen talk about changing his way of thinking with the addition of Colandrea, which in turn changes how Daikiel Shorts and Andrew Verboys coach the wide receivers. Glenn Thomas will continue as quarterback coach, EJ Barthel running backs and Marcus Saterfield tight ends. But everything starts with O-line protection and a productive running game. Wade is known for his offensive lines being able to move and run the counter. With the transfer additions Wade and Teasley added and coaching up the young guys on the roster, the Huskers could field their best offensive line in the last twenty years. It will be a new offensive look for the Huskers and one the fans will get excited about.
Not only will we see something different from the offense, but the defense will also look different as the Huskers move from the 3-3-5 to the 4-2-5 under new DC Rob Aurich. Aurich, who also coach’s linebackers, brought in edge coach Roy Manning, defensive line coach Corey Brown and secondary coach Tyler Yelk. With Phil Simpson, Rob Dvorchek, and Addison Willimas already on staff it gives the Huskers two positions coaches at all three levels.
Just like offense, the success of the defense will start up front. I was a big fan of former D-line coach Terrance Knighton. We saw what he did with Robinson and Hutmacher. I think Corey Brown and Roy manning bring that same no-nonsense attitude and juice to the defensive line. Fans will see a vast improvement over last season, which will allow the linebackers to play more freely and defensive backs to worry less about run support.
For some the loss of special teams coach Mike Ekeler was huge. I get it, Ekeler is one of the elite special teams coaches in college football and the turnaround the Huskers made last season was evidence of that. However, the Huskers are in good hands with Brett Maher and Nick Humphrey. Once both a kicker and a punter, along with several years in the NFL, Maher is more than qualified to handle the kicking game, and we’ve seen an improvement in kickers since his arrival. Humphrey came up under Ekeler and if there is anyone who understands Ekeler’s system it’s Humphrey. He’s young but he will bring the same fire and intensity to special teams that Ekeler is known for.
In the end it all adds up to Rhule finally having a staff that can develop and coach. In my opinion it is Rhule’s best staff since becoming the Husker’s head coach. Will they make the CFP? I’m not saying that, but for fans like me this is the year we see the improvement we’ve been expecting.
Look for more of my articles on Husker positivity.
GO BIG RED!! SIMPLE, FAST, VIOLENT!!
Photo courtesy of the Falls City Journal Home – Falls City Journal – Falls City, NE
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