Jeremy Pernell: Matt Rhule Unafraid of Shaking Things Up

First of three parts.

Have Husker fans found space on their mantles for their annual Offseason National Championship trophy? I'm not one to judge. As a lifelong Chicago Bears fan, I had my three-peat banner framed and hung on the wall before the ink was dry on Ben Johnson's contract. I didn't even wait for the additions they made on the offensive and defensive lines.

Isn't optimism what the offseason is all about? Even the most pessimistic fans spend the offseason trying to squint their way into seeing a path toward a successful season — whatever that may look like for a particular program.

In Year 3 of the Matt Rhule era, what success looks like might differ depending on who you ask in Husker Nation. Are you of the opinion that seven or eight regular-season wins and incremental progress signifies success in 2025? Or do you mainline Kool-Aid this time of year and with Rhule's Year 3 track records have talked yourself into nine or 10 wins? Personally, I lean more toward the prior, but I can't do much to temper the expectations of fans in the other camp.

There's a lot to be excited about with this team. Matt Rhule was my top candidate for the Nebraska job once the school finally moved on from Scott Frost,and I've continued to be impressed by how he's built the program from the ashes.

I wrote about the changing landscape of college football and Rhule's challenges moving forward last December. As expected, Nebraska's head coach has adeptly navigated these uncharted waters. Rhule beefed up his recruiting and support staff — highlighted by the March hire of New England Patriots Director of Pro Personnel Pat Stewart to be the team's general manager.

New Nebraska football general manager Pat Stewart. | Kaleb Henry

Strong high school recruiting and talent acquisition through the transfer portal have made this the most talented Husker roster since Bo Pelini was on the sidelines.

Watching Matt Rhule maneuver through the shifting tides while continuing to evolve as a CEO has been most impressive. While Nebraska reached a bowl game last season for the first time since 2016, I don't think Year 2 went the way Rhule expected. I think he knows he had a team capable of more.

Not one to stand idly by, Rhule took steps in early November to fix the offense by bringing in Dana Holgorsen — initially to be a consultant — and handing the offense over to him. After Tony White and Terrance Knighton left for Florida State in early December, Rhule took the opportunity to revamp his entire coaching staff.

Rhule eventually hired six new assistants: Phil Snow (associate head coach), Mike Ekeler (special teams coordinator), Addison Williams (defensive backs), Phil Simpson (outside linebackers), Terry Bradden (defensive line) and Daikiel Shorts Jr. (wide receivers). He promoted John Butler to defensive coordinator and was able to retain Holgorsen as offensive coordinator, while reassigning Marcus Satterfield to tight ends coach.

During his staff shakeup in mid-December, Rhule talked about some advice he once got from two coaching legends. "The advice that Coach Belichick and Coach (Bill) Parcells gave me years ago was: Your first staff is never your best staff," Rhule said during a press conference. "It's usually about two years in when you figure out who everybody is and what they need. It's not so much learning the Big Ten as it is Nebraska and what works here."

Seems simple, but it's a lesson coaches like Frost, Riley, Pelini and Callahan never learned. I'm impressed by Rhule's candor and particularly encouraged by his ability to pivot and adapt.

Without trying to incite pitchforks around here, in my opinion, Nick Saban is the best college football coach of all time. He's certainly the gold standard of program-building in the modern era.

After promoting Dana Holgorsen prior to the USC game in November, Matt Rhule spoke to Saban’s approach of hiring former head coaches who were once prominent coordinators to run his offense. Saban notably used that strategy to rejuvenate the careers of Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian and Bill O’Brien. Those coaches got a peek behind the curtain into Saban’s process and parlayed that into another head coaching opportunity.

Lane Kiffin, left, with Alabam head coach Nick Saban during Kiffin's stint as offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide. | Crystal LoGiudice-Imagn Images

Was Rhule's reference to Saban simply a comment made in the moment, or was it more than that? Was it a subtle hint at a change in philosophy with his coordinators moving forward? If the Husker program takes off under Rhule, could we see this blueprint being used in Lincoln?

Nebraska would be the third program Rhule has built to prominence from rock bottom. Going three-for-three at his college stops would give his process tremendous credibility and would likely attract talented coaches looking for a chance to see under the hood.

It's a brilliant strategy for a CEO-style coach like Rhule who is also defensive minded — like Saban. Bringing in established, prominent offensive minds and giving them autonomy over that side of the ball is a smart move. If Holgorsen has the sort of impact most expect, it will be interesting to see how this affects the hiring process moving forward.

Matt Rhule has often spoken of his affinity for taking young coaches and grooming them under his tutelage and the pride he takes when they move up the ladder. I think that approach will continue with his positional hires, but I can see a future where his coordinators are proven commodities.

Another parallel that can be drawn between Saban and Rhule is the fundamental change on offense. What we see from Dana Holgorsen this fall won't look like anything we've seen from a Matt Rhule team at any of his previous stops.

Nick Saban underwent his philosophical shift even as his program was establishing itself as a modern-day dynasty. Many remember his early-era Alabama teams that featured run-heavy offenses accompanied by a smothering defense. In 2012 he delivered this famous line, “Is this what we want football to be?” in response to the growing trend of no-huddle offenses and ever-higher-scoring games.

By the middle of the 2010s, however, Saban decided to change course and embrace the speedy, run-pass-option-loaded offenses that were taking hold across the country and frustrating his defenses. Saban encouraged his then-offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin to spread out and speed up the offense. He instructed Kiffin to spend offseasons visiting with RPO innovators of the time like Tom Herman, Sonny Cumbie and Doug Meacham. The result was the peak of Saban’s second chapter in Tuscaloosa and the culmination of the greatest run in the history of the sport.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

I point this out because Matt Rhule, like Saban, is a creature of habit. He's talked about the staunch belief in his process. Like Saban, however, that won't stop him from adapting and evolving with the game.

Rhule's willingness to change with the times has resulted in — arguably — assembling the best Husker coaching staff of the modern era. When was the last time Nebraska had a trio of coordinators on staff at the same time with résumés as good as what is in place now?

With fall camp set to open July 28, I wanted to take a look at the new coordinators and what we might see schematically. Tomorrow I'll take a look at Dana Holgorsen and the offense.

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