Get to Know MSU's Opponent's HC, Matt Rhule

Michigan State will look to take down Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule again.

Nov 4, 2023; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule gestures while talking with assistants on the sideline against the Michigan State Spartans in the first half at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images | Dale Young-Imagn Images

The Michigan State Spartans will face off with the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a high-stakes Big Ten showdown. 

MSU is looking for its first conference win this season, as it does not want to get too far behind the eight-ball in that department. A road matchup with a solid Cornhuskers team will be a tough way to come about it. 

The Spartans have won their last two matchups with the Huskers, and whoever wins the next one will take the lead in the series since Nebraska joined the Big Ten. 

If Jonathan Smith and his team want to get their fourth win of the season, they will have to defeat Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule. 

Nebraska HC Matt Rhule

Sep 20, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule walks onto the field before the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Rhule is in his third season leading the Huskers, compiling a record of 62-57 at the collegiate level and 11-27 as an NFL head coach. 

Before he took over Nebraska, Rhule was Temple’s head coach. He has also been at Baylor and spent a few years with the Carolina Panthers. 

Rhule’s biggest strength as a head coach is his ability to build programs. Whether with the Owls, Bears, or Huskers, he turns the programs he coaches into powerhouses. 

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith looks on against Western Michigan during the first quarter on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In his first season at Temple, the Owls were 2-10. In his final two seasons, they won double-digit games, winning the American Athletic Conference in 2016. 

Baylor was 1-11 in Rhule’s first season in Waco. By the time he left, the Bears were 11-3. 

His time in the NFL was not successful, as he did not last long with the Panthers. He took the Nebraska job when the program was in dire straits after a tumultuous Scott Frost tenure and has done a solid job rebuilding. 

Aug 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule walks onto the field during warmups before the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The team went 5-7 in his first season in Lincoln and won seven games last year. He has the Huskers off to a good start to 2025 at 3-1. 

Rhule’s teams are fundamentally solid on both sides of the ball. MSU must be smart and disciplined to pull off the upset on the road. 

It is easy to see that Rhule is building up the program at Nebraska, a historic powerhouse that has been down on its luck the last few years. 

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith looks during the fourth quarter in the game against Western Michigan on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Will Rhule bring them back to college football’s peak? Smith and the Spartans certainly hope not, at least not this Saturday.

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