Fixing the Foundation: A Much-Needed Coaching Shakeup for Nebraska’s Defensive Line

Nebraska football limped through the final weeks of the 2025 regular season, suffering decisive losses to Penn State and Iowa, but the warning signs surfaced in mid-October against Minnesota.

After that 24-6 loss to the Gophers, head coach Matt Rhule acknowledged a larger issue within the program. “I couldn’t convince the coaching staff what that game was going to be like,” Rhule said. “I knew what P.J. Fleck and Minnesota would be like on a Friday night, and I couldn’t convince the team. So now they know. That’s not me saying I told them and they didn’t do it. It’s me saying I didn’t get it done.”

It wasn't made public then, but the coach he was referring to was Terry Bradden, whose unit helped surrender 187 sack-adjusted rushing yards and 5.7 yards per carry to the Gophers that night.

On Dec. 9, it was announced that Bradden would no longer be the D-line coach at Nebraska. Moving on from Bradden was absolutely the right decision. Beyond the on-field struggles of the D-line, Bradden's lack of momentum on the recruiting trail was also unforgivable. The Huskers did not sign a single defensive lineman during the early signing period, and what little reciprocated interest Nebraska did receive came from the efforts of other coaches. For a program trying to re-establish toughness at the line of scrimmage, that's unacceptable.

Speculation swirled for weeks about Nebraska's next defensive line coach. Most Husker fans spent the early portion of the search hoping Matt Rhule could reunite with former assistant Elijah Robinson, but Robinson ultimately chose to join Mike Elko's staff at Texas A&M as co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach. Robinson previously coached for the Aggies from 2018 to 2023 under Jimbo Fisher.

Elijah Robinson with A&M player on sideline — Syracuse's Elijah Robinson opted for Texas A&M, where he had coached from 2018 to 2023. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

When a reunion with Robinson failed to materialize, speculation shifted toward coaches already on staff. Dave Tollefson, who assisted with the defensive line during bowl practices, was viewed as a possible retention candidate, while some wondered if Phil Simpson might transition from coaching the edge players to the interior after working closely with Rhule during bowl prep. Some theorized Rhule's hands-on involvement with the interior players alongside Simpson might have served as an extended audition.

When neither move was announced after Nebraska's bowl game with the transfer portal slated to open two days later, another theory gained traction: that Rhule was waiting on the conclusion of the NFL season to make a hire.

Frank Okam, Rhule's former defensive line coach at Baylor (2018-19) and Carolina (2020-21), emerged as the presumed target. Still, the timing raised questions. Just a year earlier, Rhule announced Bradden's impending hire while the Kansas City Chiefs were in the midst of a Super Bowl run. If a similar move were imminent with Okam — also an assistant D-line coach — the delay in making the news public made no sense.

In the meantime, Nebraska took another step in reworking its defensive staff on Dec. 11 by hiring Roy Manning to coach the Huskers' edge rushers. Manning takes over a position group that was coached last season by Phil Simpson, who returned to Lincoln after a one-year stint at Florida State to be a first-time position coach.

As of now, Simpson remains part of the staff with his future title still not publicly outlined. Simpson would fit nicely returning to the role he held in 2023, when he was an assistant to former D-line coach Terrance Knighton. He's just not ready to lead his own room at the Power Four level. He needs to put skins on the wall at a Group of Five school before taking on that responsibility again.

Hopefully he stays in Lincoln until getting that opportunity, but it's safe to wonder if the dynamic of being demoted makes that too awkward. He still brings value as a recruiter. He was a highly decorated high school coach in Miami who remains respected and well-connected in South Florida.

But there's no doubt Nebraska is getting a massive upgrade in Roy Manning, who played outside linebacker at Michigan from 2000-04 and then had a three-year NFL career, earning brief stints with the Green Bay Packers, Houston Texas, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals before beginning his coaching career.

Manning is viewed as a talented coach and top-tier recruiter who spent this past season at San Diego State coaching the edge rushers. He was considered a big part of what defensive coordinator Rob Aurich accomplished with the Aztec defense in 2025 before being hired for the same role at Nebraska. Manning's players accounted for 28 of SDSU’s 32 sacks this past season, with Trey White earning first-team All-Mountain West honors.

Manning has spent 12 of his 15 seasons coaching in a power conference with experience on defensive staffs in the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12. He's been part of staffs at USC (associate head coach/LB, 2022-23), Oklahoma (CB, 2019-2021), UCLA (OLB/special teams, 2018), Washington State (OLB, 2015-17), Michigan (CB/OLB, 2013-14), and Cincinnati (RB, 2012).

In 2023, USC ranked 24th nationally in tackles for loss and appeared in the Pac-12 Championship Game in 2022 with the defense ranking third in interceptions, fifth in takeaways, 12th in defensive touchdowns and 19th in sacks.

During his time at Oklahoma, the Sooners excelled defensively. In 2020, they ranked third nationally in interceptions (16), fourth in third-down defense, ninth in pass efficiency defense and only allowed 12 passing touchdowns in 11 games on the season — the fewest in the country by teams that played nine or more games. In 2021, Oklahoma finished 15th nationally in takeaways, 25th in defensive touchdowns and the program captured back-to-back Big 12 titles (2019-20) and reached the 2019 College Football Playoff semifinals.

Manning and Grinch — Roy Manning (left) and defensive coordinator Alex Grinch watch a play during Oklahoma's 2019 spring game. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

At Wazzu, Manning helped the Cougars' defense consistently rank among the best units in the Pac-12. In 2015, the team finished eighth nationally in tackles for loss, and in 2017, they repeated that ranking with 103 total tackles for loss, while finishing 16th in total defense (323.3 ypg), ninth in passing defense (170.9) and ninth in turnovers gained (28), while allowing only 11 touchdown passes.

In 2018, when Manning was UCLA's special teams coordinator, the Bruins improved from 65th to 20th in his one season with the program.

At Michigan, during both of his seasons in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines posted top-20 rankings in total defense, pass defense and scoring defense.

Players coached by Manning have earned all-conference recognition 16 times, including Trey White this season. During his tenures at USC and Washington State, linebackers earned conference honors three times, while at Oklahoma and Michigan, cornerbacks received accolades 11 times. Even during his lone season as running backs coach at Cincinnati, George Winn was named first-team All-Big East.

Corey Brown during his time coaching the defensive line at Rutgers. | Rutgers Athletics

After weeks of no clear update on who Matt Rhule's Plan B was after missing out on Elijah Robinson, multiple outlets reported on Sunday, Jan. 11, that the Huskers were expected to hire Miami of Ohio's Corey Brown to coach the interior defensive line. His hire was subsequently made official five days later.

As it turns out, Brown was actually on campus over the weekend while Nebraska was hosting key defensive line targets. Brown was able to meet with priority 2026 DT target Dylan Berymon, a four-star prospect from Louisiana who was once committed to Texas. He also met with Pittsburgh interior D-line transfer Jahsear Whittington and junior college All-American DT Andy Burburija - both of whom subsequently committed to Nebraska.

Brown played defensive tackle at Iowa from 1995 to 1999 under legendary head coaches Hayden Fry and Kirk Ferentz. After graduating, Brown played five years on the defensive and offensive line for the Quad City Steamwheelers where he won back-to-back AFL2 championships.

Brown's coaching career began in 2006 at the junior college level. He got his start at North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, where he coached the defensive line and handled strength and conditioning duties. From there, he moved to Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, serving in the same role from 2009 to 2011.

In 2012, Brown transitioned to the FBS level as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame under Brian Kelly, a position he held through the 2013 season. His first full-time opportunity at the FBS level came in 2014, when Chuck Martin — Notre Dame's offensive coordinator at the time — hired Brown to coach the D-line after taking the head coaching job at Miami in Oxford, Ohio.

Corey Brown watches during Miami of Ohio's game against Colorado State in the 2024 Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Over four seasons with the RedHawks, Brown's D-lines helped the defense register 89 sacks, while producing four All-MAC players. He also helped JT Jones earn a free agent deal with the Atlanta Falcons. Miami of Ohio's 2017 defense ranked 14th nationally in red zone defense, 24th in first down defense and 43rd in scoring defense. Ikeem Allen earned third-team All-MAC honors that season, giving Brown an all-conference defensive lineman in each of his four years in Oxford.

Brown's success earned him an opportunity in the Big Ten in 2018, when respected defensive mind Chris Ash brought him to Rutgers to be part of his staff. Brown spent two seasons coaching the Scarlet Knights' defensive line. In 2019, Will Previlon earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors, was named Rutgers’ defensive MVP, and later signed as a free agent with the Green Bay Packers.

After Ash's dismissal and Greg Schiano's return to Rutgers, Brown wasn't retained so he joined Division III Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Unfortunately, the Rams' season was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Earl Miller Jr. gets past a block — South Dakota defensive lineman Earl Miller Jr. chases Kansas State quarterback Adrian Martinez during a 2022 game. | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

In June 2021, Brown joined the staff at South Dakota, where he crossed paths with current Husker defensive coordinator Rob Aurich, who was on staff as the special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach during the 2021 season. During Brown's two years in Vermillion, the Coyotes recorded 52 sacks.

Brown returned to Chuck Martin's staff at Miami (Ohio) in 2023 and spent the past three years coaching under defensive coordinator Bill Brechin, who, like Aurich, runs a 4-2-5 base defense. The RedHawks have ranked among the best Group of Five teams nationally in sacks since Brown's return to Oxford.

During the 2023 season, Brown's defensive line helped Miami finish the season with 35 sacks, ranking 22nd nationally. Caiden Woullard earned first-team All-MAC honors after recording 9.5 sacks, while Ty Wise and Brian Ugwu each posted 8.0 sacks. All three finished in the top five in the Mid-American Conference in total sacks. That season, the RedHawks ranked eighth nationally in scoring defense (15.9 ppg) and allowed just 86 points in eight conference games — the fewest allowed in MAC play since 2000.

In 2024, Brown was part of a defensive staff that ranked third in the MAC in scoring defense (18.8 ppg), total defense (331.4 ypg), rushing defense (137.1 ypg) and pass defense (194.3 ypg). The RedHawks also led the conference in red zone defense and forced 23 turnovers on the season. Despite breaking in several new starters along the defensive front, the RedHawks still generated 30 sacks, ranking 44th nationally. Brown helped Brian Ugwu earn first-team All-MAC honors, while Corey Suttle was honored with second-team accolades.

Gang tackle by Miami of Ohio — Miami RedHawks defensive lineman James Schott assists on a tackle against Fresno State during the 2025 Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

This past season the RedHawks were eighth in the country in sacks (40) and 43rd in yards per rush allowed (3.75). During his two stints at Miami, Brown's players earned all-conference honors 10 times, including three first-team picks: Adam Trick (2025), Brian Ugwu (2024) and Caiden Woullard (2023).

There will inevitably be some skepticism from a portion of the fan base after Matt Rhule's hiring of Corey Brown, largely because he is arriving from Miami, even if the RedHawks have been one of the more prominent programs in the Mid-American Conference. According to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Nebraska also had discussions with Aaron Terry — uncle of Husker redshirt freshman defensive tackle Tyson Terry — who currently serves as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Brown's old stomping grounds, Iowa Western, now a junior college powerhouse.

Honestly, however, almost anyone hired after the Huskers missed out on Elijah Robinson was going to feel like a letdown initially. That context matters. The bar was set unattainably high when he was rumored to be considering the job. Still, there are several reasons this hire deserves a more level-headed evaluation.

The first is Brown's solid reputation for development, which is something this program sorely needs. Brown has a track record of improving production wherever he's been. Along with improved recruiting, development is what this roster needs right now and Brown's background points to that.

I also like that Brown comes with a similar schematic background, having coached under RedHawks defensive coordinator Bill Brechin, who runs a 4-2-5 built on split-safety coverages mainly utilizing Cover 4, Cover 2 and Cover 6. That familiarity matters, especially for a defense that needs to fix structural issues as much as improving personnel. Brown isn't learning a new language — he's continuing one he already knows.

The most significant factor, though, is continuity with defensive coordinator Rob Aurich. Brown has worked with Aurich and was someone Aurich specifically wanted on his staff. Along with Roy Manning, Nebraska now has multiple coaches on staff who already understand how Aurich wants the defense to be taught and executed. That shared understanding can't be overstated, particularly for a unit that struggled with fundamentals.

Nebraska's run defense was woefully bad to the point where Bob Diaco and Kevin Cosgrove might have been embarrassed by it.

While the defensive line absorbed most of the criticism, the issues ran across all three levels — gap and eye discipline, alignment integrity, leverage and overall technique. The defensive line sets the tone in the run game, the linebackers make the fits right and the secondary plays off that structure. When one level doesn't do its job, the whole thing breaks down.

I like that Nebraska has two coaches working with the front who understand exactly how Aurich wants the run defended. It doesn't guarantee success, of course, but it addresses one of the most glaring structural flaws on the defense. For a unit trying to rebuild its foundation, that's a significant step in the right direction.

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