You will sometimes here people say, “He was born for it.” There is some truth in that. I’m sure I was born for something, but I can’t tell you off the top of my head what that might be. What I will tell you is this, love him or hate him, Matt Rhule was born to coach. I know there are Husker fans who have given up on him, but I’m not one of them. I get where they’re coming from. It’s hard to get on board with a guy who is 19-19 in his first three years. Especially with the history of our program, the digital age for wanting things ‘now’ and all the hoopla Rhule brought with him.
But as fans we’ve got to stop comparing him to Nebraska’s coaches over the last sixty years. He’s not Devany (101-20-2), Osborne (255-49-3), Solich (58-19), or Pelini (67-27). And no matter how badly you want to make him Callhan (27-22), Riley (19-19) or Frost (16-31), he isn’t those guys either. He’s freakn’ Matt Rhule. And good on him.
In my opinion Rhule’s credentials were under question when he was hired, and that’s probably why some people aren’t crazy about him even now. He played under Joe Paterno at Penn State as a walk-on. A ‘Rudy’ if you will, or a version of Nebraska’s Matt Turman. And as far as his coaching career is concerned, he wasn’t groomed by any legendary coaches. No Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier, Lou Holtz or Urban Meyer loom in the background. Probably the biggest name Rhule coached under was Bill Parcellls, and that was for a single season before he took over Temple. I’ve always hated the phrase, but Rhule probably has the right to boast, “I’m a self-made man.”
Rhule’s credentials were based on what seemed to be the ability to turn programs around and make something from nothing. However, if you sit down and really dissect things, what he had to offer comes in a very small sample size, six seasons as a head coach and a 47-43 record.
Rhule made it clear on his arrival that everything starts with a strong foundation. Without that you have nothing. That doesn’t just apply to building football programs. It’s everything in life, including coaching careers. You can say what you want, but if you thought Matt Rhule came to Nebraska with the same credentials as Osborne or say Nick Saban, you are sadly mistaken. And why would you think that? Yes, Rhule turned Temple around and picked up the pieces at Baylor and turned them into something. But this is Nebraska.
Baylor is strides ahead of Temple, but even comparing Baylor to Nebraska is like comparing Frankenstein’s monster to Yogi Bear. Your first comment, Doctor Tom did it. You may not want to hear this, but the Big Red Monster Doctor Tom controlled has been pumped full of steroids and dollar signs. He’s bigger, wilder, and more out of control than ever. He advanced from mauling to dismemberment. He no longer simply pummels his master but has learned to use his teeth and now rips flesh from bone. Simply put, he can be frightening. Rhule is chained to something that only appeared in Osborn and Saban’s worst nightmares.
Nobody can fault Nick Saban for hanging it up, hell he was 71 years old and had nothing left to prove. But Nick knew he didn’t want any part of what college football had become. And that’s where you must recognize who Matt Rhule is. He’s up for the challenge and has shown himself to be fearless. He’s also had time to process the advice that Bill Parcells gave him.
“You first staff is never your best staff. It’s usually about two years in when you figure out who everybody is and what they need.”
After saying that, Rhule then added, “It’s not so much learning the Big Ten as it is Nebraska and what works here.”
The learning process had been too slow for most of us. And Rhule has cleaned house of coaches since year two, so figuring out what everybody needs really comes down to what he needs. What does he need to be successful at Nebraska and in the Big Ten. I think he has finally recognized that in today’s head coaching world, it’s top-tier assistants. People who are coaches, developers, and builders of men. Unlike Paterno or Osborne, it’s something he couldn’t do by himself. There are too many other things involved in keeping the monster under control. He needed people who he could oversee but turn loose and trust. I think he has that in this new staff. There is a noticeable difference in the current staff versus the year one or year three staffs, day and night in fact.
The 2026 schedule is the most challenging Rhule has faced since arriving. Vegas released their numbers for wins this week and Nebraska came in at 5.5 wins this season. It’s a reasonable number. If the Huskers go 6-6 it will be an accomplishment. But they need to go 7-6 or better to keep pace with the last two seasons.
And while the offseason has been quiet and fans are busy paying attention to Husker basketball, baseball, and softball, there is still plenty of hype over Anthony Colandrea and the offensive line. Plus, naysayers can’t wait for the running back room and the defensive line to faulter so they can say, “See, I told you we needed someone from the portal.”
Ahhh, the almighty portal, another side to the Big Red Monster. The answer to everything. It worked for Indiana so it must be the right path. The portal will play an important role in Rhule’s success going forward. But live by the blitz, die by the blitz, it’s not the answer. There must be a mix of portal and development, Rhule is working on what that percentage is. It leans to the portal side as of now, but let’s see how it goes in the future.
Am I drinking the Kool-Aid? Has Nebraska won another offseason national championship? The answer is no and no. But I’m a Husker fan, every year is the year. I can’t say I’ve truly thought that since Pelini was the coach, but I find myself doing it once again. So as for now, I’m looking forward to Matt Rhule keeping the Big Red Monster under control and turning him loose on the rest of the college football world.
GO BIG RED!! SIMPLE, FAST, VIOLENT!!
Photo courtesy of the Falls City Journal
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