On Monday, November 28 the Nebraska Football Program began a new era as they welcomed Matt Rhule as the 31st Head Coach in program history. I'll be the first to admit, I was a bit skeptical of the hire myself when I heard the news. While there is still much work to be done, it seems as though Coach Rhule is getting pieces in place quickly. He wants to be successful and says Nebraska is the right fit. I've got a full breakdown of the Monday Press Conference and his first few days as a Husker.
Set up in the Hawks Championship Center on the Huskers' indoor practice facility, a large crowd stood around a stage with HUSKERS displayed in lights below. The band played the fight song as Trev Alberts and Matt Rhule made their way through the crowd up to the stage. Trev kicked off the press conference and thanked Mickey Joseph and his staff for the efforts on the season. When talking about what led to the decision with hiring Matt Rhule, Alberts mentioned 13 different coaches were interacted with throughout the process, and that Rhule was target "1A" for the Huskers. The vision Alberts gave for Nebraska is to once again be the "premiere development program in college football", with a focus on "toughness". Alberts said Rhule posses the leadership, strategic thinking and attention to detail needed to build this program and culture.
As Matt Rhule stepped to the stage you could tell one thing for sure, he looked excited. He looked happy to be there, far more than his predecessor. Rhule opened his remarks by thanking his family, saying he took this job because it is the right fit for them. He appreciated the "leadership and alignment" found with Trev throughout the search and is excited to be part of a program focused on player development once again. I wasn't surprised too much by his opening remarks, but his demeanor started to draw me in. His own vision for the program sparked my attention as he not only wanted to "build a team that's tough and hard-working", but one that Husker fans "could be proud to watch". This stuck out to me. Although not a Nebraska native, Rhule has done his homework and quickly learned what the Husker Football team means to the people of this state and beyond. He wants to bring this program to a level in which fans don't have to moan and groan each Saturday morning, wishing the team would play competent football for four full quarters. Understanding the fanbase and how to manage that relationship is a big part of this job and argubly one of the toughest in all of College Football. Nebraska isn't necessarily a people that demand perfection, but they demand effort. They demand passion. We know the Sea of Red will give it right back come September of 2023, so until that point the Head Coach of Nebraska Football needs to give that drive and passion back to the fans.
As for building success on the field, "winning the line of scrimmage" is the key according to Rhule. Recruitment focus will be targeted with his connections in Texas but also wants to put a revived emphasis on recruiting in-state athletes as well. "We have to recruit people who want to wear the N". This was a big statement from Rhule that clearly shows what he wants to build. He stated he was offered other jobs during the process, but chose Nebraska over those and sitting out a year because of the opportunity to build the culture here. Last but not least, Rhule wants his players, his program and especially his family, to be part of the community. "We're going to be at restaurants, we're going to be at little-league games", he stated. This particular note of his press conference is where I was truly impressed. This has been a side project for far too long, mostly supported by other organizations like the Team Jack Foundation. But to have a primary focus on this for the Husker Football program, I think that is a great thing. I'm not the only one either, I spoke with UNL Chancellor, Ronnie Green, following the press conference and that was the sentiment he appreciated most. "We haven't had that truly since Osborne I believe," said Green. One thing is for sure, Matt Rhule is here to make a difference.
Over the last few days we've all seen many tweets and posts wondering who Matt Rhule would bring in for his coaching staff. While not all the dust has settled yet, here's what some of the positions look like thus far along with their most recent role.
Offensive Coordinator: Marcus Satterfield - South Carolina OC/QB Coach
QB Coach: Jake Peetz - LA Rams Asstant
Running Backs: E.J. Barthel - UConn RB Coach & was with Rhule at Temple & Carolina
Defensive Line: Terrance Knighton - Carolina Panthers Asst. DL Coach
Secondary: Evan Cooper - Carolina Panthers Cornerbacks Coach, Recruitment Experience
Special Teams Coordinator: Ed Foley - Carolina Panthers Asst. Special Teams Coach
Strength Coach: Corey Campbell - Carolina Panthers Asst. Strength Coach
This is looking to be a solid team of coaches thus far. Unsurprising with the connections to the Carolina Panthers as Rhule was fired from that program earlier this fall. Statistically, Rhule's teams have always had impressive defensive ratings. While at Temple in his final season with the owls in 2016, they ranked 3rd in total defense in the nation. Baylor ranked 3rd in the Big XII and 39th overall in 2019 when he was named Big XII Coach of the Year.
This is an interesting hire with a lot riding on its shoulders. I think there's certainly great potential with Matt Rhule, and his opening press conference as Head Coach of the Huskers certainly gave me a shot of Kool-Aid I wasn't expected. Excited to see what promises turn into actions and more excited to see if he needs a top notch recruiter who knows this program better than most on this campus. Good luck to Coach Rhule and GO BIG RED!
#CFBKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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