All Huskers

Should Nebraska Stay In-House to Run Special Teams—or Reconsider?

Matt Rhule stated the Huskers would promote from within, but with his most experienced assistant electing to leave, does the plan change?
Trevor Tarr|
Nebraska kicker Kyle Cunanan makes a 31-yard field goal against Iowa.
Nebraska kicker Kyle Cunanan makes a 31-yard field goal against Iowa. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

In this story:

Nebraska Cornhuskers

With Nebraska special teams assistant Josh Martin's decision to take a high school head coaching job in his home state of Texas, the Huskers' replacement plan for Mike Ekeler got murkier than it already was.

While head coach Matt Rhule made it apparent they would promote from within, were Ekeler to leave, it doesn't seem like any member of the staff was truly "promoted". Rather, they just assumed more responsibility.

And whether that was the deciding factor in Martin's departure, or a ticket back home was too good to pass up, that's not what's interesting. Instead, finding out whether Rhule will double down on his plan or course correct is.

It all started in early January, when rumors surfaced that Southern California was the likely landing spot for Ekeler. The news came as a surprise to Husker Nation, especially considering the special teams coordinator's ties to the state.

Their worry didn't subside when Rhule went on the Zach Gelb Show on Jan. 14 and discussed the matter in a very public way. When asked directly about the status of Ekeler being retained, Rhule didn't sugarcoat his lack of clarity on the subject matter.

"I don't know," said Rhule. "What I can tell you is, right in the middle of the season, we offered Mike a huge, huge, huge extension to make him either [the] first or second highest paid special teams coordinator [in the country]".

If the money wasn't the issue, an expanded role, or lack thereof, likely was. Rhule proceeded to suggest that coaches have other factors that are important to them in the job search as well. "People have other things," Rhule said. "Mike's also been a defensive coordinator. Obviously, we hired Rob [Aurich] to do the defense- if people want to take other jobs, all I can do is put them under contract and offer them extensions and hope that they stay".

True? Yes. Fun to hear? No. But that's the reality of college football today, yesterday, and even the day before. Coaches have always had the ability to be fluid in the jobs that they take, and Ekeler is no stranger to leaving a program earlier than expected. In fact, in his 26 years of coaching experience, Ekeler's longest tenure with a program was four seasons. He's held 14 different titles in that 26-year stretch as well.

So, with Ekeler out, Rhule's plan quickly turned to promoting from within. At least, in the sense that assistant coaches already on staff would take over coaching responsibilities of the units they had already been assisting with under Ekeler's guidance. That meant coaches like Josh Martin, Brett Maher, and Nick Humphrey would get the nod.

"[Mike Ekeler] taught us a great system," Rhule said. "And I've got some guys here- Josh Martin, Nick Humphrey, who were his right-hand guys... I hope Mike is back, I loved working with him, but if a team pursues him and he decides to leave, I do have the guys and the system in place to just do it from within".

It sounded convincing enough on paper. Especially when taking into context that Humphrey followed Ekeler from Tennessee to Nebraska after playing in his system for several years, and that Martin had experience coaching special teams at SMU before joining Rhule's staff. But with the only assistant with real experience leading special teams, in a coaching role, now gone, is it smart for the Huskers to gamble with what they've got left in the coaching stable? Probably not.

Maher was a dynamic special teams player in his playing career, but has little to no coaching experience to date. In fact, his only Division I experience is working under Rhule's staff, which he started doing in 2024. Humphrey is as well-versed in Ekeler's philosophies as anyone still on Nebraska's staff; however, the majority of his familiarity comes from his time as a player while at Tennessee. He's yet to serve in a full-time assistant coaching role, and before following Ekeler to Lincoln, Humphrey served as a graduate assistant for the Volunteers.

That means that the two best options still on staff are two coaches with absolutely zero true assistant coaching experience outside of their time at Nebraska. And heading into year four of the Matt Rhule era, I'd be skeptical of keeping that status quo.

So, where do the Huskers turn, if that is the direction they opt to go? Need I remind you that Ed Foley is still on staff? Or that Bill Busch is seemingly on the open market and works less than a mile away from Memorial Stadium? While Foley is almost certainly not the answer, Busch could be a realistic option.

No stranger to the program, either, is coach Busch, whose most recent stint in college football was under Scott Frost in Lincoln, the year he was let go. That fall, Busch started the season as the Huskers' special teams coordinator, and four games in, after Frost and former defensive coordinator Erik Chinander were dismissed, he took over the defensive coordinator responsibilities for the final eight games.

Not only has Busch been named the special teams coordinator at Nebraska once, but he also served in the same position under Bill Callahan from 2004 to 2007. He's coached the role and gathered over three decades of Division I experience as well. On top of that, Busch has proven to be a great recruiter.

Whether Rhule elects to go this route or not, his decision is still very much unknown. For now, there are three options: stay the course with Maher and Humphrey, vet coach Busch, who this late in the coaching cycle will very likely be one of, if not the most experienced and able coaches to fill the role, or hire a name with no ties to the program, less than a full month before spring practices begin.

The options aren't great, even more so when taking into context how vastly improved the special teams units were in 2025. Now, many fear a return to catastrophic levels of special teams play could be on the horizon after Ekeler's departure.

While nobody knows for sure what will happen next fall, it's increasingly hard to argue that the Huskers didn't let one, try two coaches, slip away from their grasp. In a business that demands results, the coach who garnered the most reason for optimism heading into year four was seemingly allowed to walk.

The idea perplexes me, and I'm sure many agree, but regardless, the Nebraska fan base deserves this hire to be right. Whether it is still a combination of Maher and Humphrey, Busch, who seems to be one call away, or another coach currently unknown, the Husker football program needs to find coaching continuity one way or another. And in a business with egos and aspirations, Rhule will need to set his own aside for the greater good of the program he runs in 2026 and beyond.

More From Nebraska On SI

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

Published | Modified
Trevor Tarr
TREVOR TARR

Trevor Tarr is the founder of Skers Scoop, a Nebraska football media outlet delivering original coverage through writing, graphics, and video content. He began his career in collegiate athletics at the University of South Dakota, producing media for the football team and assisting with athletic fundraising. A USD graduate with a background in journalism and sports marketing, Trevor focuses on creative, fan-driven storytelling in college football.

Home/Football