Nebraska has hired Tyler Yelk as its new safeties coach, bringing an experienced defensive mind with both college and NFL backgrounds to the Cornhuskers’ staff under head coach Matt Rhule and defensive coordinator Rob Aurich. The move comes quickly after the program lost its previous safeties coach, Miles Taylor, who departed for a position with the Baltimore Ravens shortly after joining Nebraska. Reports first emerged around February 6, 2026, indicating Nebraska was trending toward Yelk, and multiple sources confirmed the hire as he transitions from the professional level to the Big Ten.
Yelk spent the previous three seasons (2023–2025) with the Philadelphia Eagles. He originally joined the team in 2023 as an assistant to head coach Nick Sirianni. In 2024, during the Eagles’ Super Bowl campaign, he served as assistant to the head coach. He was promoted to defensive assistant ahead of the 2025 season, contributing to one of the NFL’s standout defensive units in recent years, with particular involvement in secondary player development.
Before entering the NFL, Yelk built a solid resume in college football from 2013 to 2022. He coached safeties at Idaho in 2022. From 2019 to 2021, he worked with safeties and nickel backs at Temple. In 2018, he coached safeties at Northern Illinois. Earlier in his career, he had roles at Western Illinois (including as co-defensive coordinator) and began coaching at his alma mater, the University of Minnesota-Duluth, in 2009, where he worked with defensive backs and special teams.
Yelk has ties to Aurich, Nebraska’s new defensive coordinator—they were teammates at Minnesota-Duluth and have coached together at previous stops, including Idaho. This connection likely played a role in the rapid decision to bring him to Lincoln, providing continuity and familiarity for the defensive staff.
As a player, Yelk was an All-American defensive back at Minnesota-Duluth, and he is notable for winning an NCAA Division II national championship both as a player and as a coach with the Bulldogs in 2010.
The hire bolsters Nebraska’s secondary coaching as the program continues its efforts to strengthen the defense in the competitive Big Ten. Yelk’s blend of recent NFL experience and prior success coaching safeties at the college level positions him well to develop the Huskers’ safety group. The program is expected to officially announce the addition soon, finalizing the staff for the upcoming season.