Over the last week the Huskers have been riding the waves, signing new recruits like defensive tackle Dylan Berymon and losing quarterback Tanner Vibabul to James Madison. But it hasn’t just been players, there has been coaching turnover as well. Former special teams coach Josh Martin left to take a head coaching job at a high school in Texas. Rhule then named Brett Maher the special team coordinator and Nick Humphrey as co-coordinator.
The dust had hardly settled when new safeties coach Miles Taylor, who had been with Nebraska for just a little over a month, announced that he was leaving to take a job with the Baltimore Ravens. Taylor had been hand picked by new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich.
With Aurich switching Nebraska’s defense from the 3-3-5 and going to the 4-2-5, he was looking to add his own secret sauce to each level of the defense. He had already hired Roy Manning as the Edge coach, Corey Brown for the defensive line, and Miles was to handle the backend. Aurich is a linebacker coach, meaning there would be a new voice at each level of the defense.
It’s been evident that Aurich, like Rhule, likes to surround himself with people he knows. Manning coached with Aurich at San Diego State, Corey Brown and Taylor at South Dakota. As a Husker fan, it was almost comical to learn both Brown and Taylor played their college ball at Iowa. In some strange way it seems somewhat fitting.
With Taylor leaving there was question of whether Rhule would hire a new safeties coach or let Addison Williams or Phil Snow handle that responsibility. But this afternoon it became clear Aurich wanted a new safeties coach as it was announced Nebraska was set to hire Tyler Yelk.
Yelk has coached the last three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles as a defensive assistant. But as mentioned earlier, Yelk has a connection with Aurich as the two played together and then coached together at Idaho. Yelk and Brown also spent time together at South Dakota. Yelk was Aurich’s safety coach when Aurich was the DC for the Vandals. That 2022 squad led the Big Sky Conference in interceptions and was one of the top pass defenses in the FCS.
Yelk brings multiple years of experience to Lincoln as a player, and both as a college and NFL coach.
Restless in the Cornhusker State
With almost losing Berymon to Kentucky and losing Vibabul to JMU, plus Martin and Taylor leaving, and Taylor only here long enough for a cup of coffee, Big Red Nation became restless. Wondering what was going on with Matt Rhule’s program. But it’s just football in today’s world. Multiple schools lost coaches to the NFL over the last month or so. And players on the move is the new norm. Granted, Rhule needs to get a staff established and settled in for the long haul, but it’s that time of year. No big deal.
However, with the latest hire Nebraska would have 17 contracted coaches with several overlapping positions. And with 25 on the field coaches, it seems excessive and suggests we should be seeing better results. The current staff is listed as follows:
- Matt Rhule – Head Coach
- Dana Holgorsen – Offensive Coordinator
- Rob Aurich – Defensive Coordinator
- EJ Barthels – Running Backs
- Corey Brown – Defensive Line
- Rob Dvoracek – Linebackers
- Roy Manning – Defensive Edges
- Jamar Mozee – Assistant Head Coach
- Marcus Satterfield – Tigh Ends
- DaiKiel Shorts Jr. – Wide Receivers
- Phil Snow – Associate Head Coach
- Phil Simpson – Outside Linebackers
- Lonnie Teasley – Running Game Coordinator
- Glenn Thomas – Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- Geep Wade – Offensive Line
- Addison Williams – Secondary
- *Tyler Yelk – Safeties
- Ron Brown – Fullbacks/Returners
- Aaron Coeling – Assistant Offensive Line
- Adam DeMichele – Assistant Secondary
- Nick Humphrey – Co-Coordinator Special Teams
- Brett Maher – Special Teams Coordinator
- Dave Tollefson – Defensive Analyst
- Andrew Verboys – Assistant Wide Receivers
- Corey Cambell – Head Football Strength & Conditioning Coach
A Feather in Rhule’s Cap
Rhule hasn’t had a lot of coaching victories on or off the field since he’s been here. But wanting to be a developmental program, he can point to the upcoming draft and keep his fingers crossed. This week NFL Analyst Mel Kiper recently ranked the top ten running backs in the NFL draft. At number three was Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson. Johnson fell just behind Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price of Notre Dame. However, he was ranked ahead of Washington’s Jonah Coleman, and both Penn State’s Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton. Few people would have put Johnson in such company before the season started. And even fewer after watching the offensive line against Minnesota. However, if Johnson does get drafted as one of the top three running backs it will be an eye opener for Husker fans. Because it would validate Matt Rhule’s efforts and bring attention to Nebraska on a national scale. Something Rhule has been vigorously working at over the last three years.
GO BIG RED!! SIMPLE, FAST, VIOLENT!!
Photo courtesy of Home – Falls City Journal – Falls City, NE
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