Matt Rhule Confirms New Addition to Nebraska Football Defensive Staff

Nebraska football has apparently added another piece to its defensive coaching staff.

During an appearance Wednesday on the Zach Gelb Show on 365 Sports, head coach Matt Rhule said former Iowa defensive back Miles Taylor is joining the Huskers as a safeties coach. Taylor was most recently with the Los Angeles Chargers as a coaching fellow and was previously a co-defensive coordinator at South Dakota.

Rhule mentioned the addition of Taylor while discussing the new hires on the defensive staff, which also include defensive coordinator Rob Aurich and edges coach Roy Manning from San Diego State, and defensive line coach Corey Brown from Miami (Ohio). Taylor was an Alex G. Spanos Coaching Fellow during the season for Los Angeles, a position designed to develop emerging coaching talent.

As a player, Taylor was a four-year letter winner for Nebraska's border-state rivals. He played in 50 career games for Iowa, starting 32 while totaling 169 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a half-sack, five pass breakups and an interception. After his playing career, Taylor joined Iowa's staff as a graduate assistant for the 2018 season, primarily working with the defense.

Taylor then spent his 2019 summer as the Bill Walsh Defensive intern with the Baltimore Ravens, primarily breaking down preseason practices and scrimmages for the defensive backs and special teams. Taylor was named the cornerbacks coach at UT-Martin in February 2020 before joining the Coyotes at South Dakota. His first season in Vermillion was cut short due to COVID in 2020, but in his second season, Taylor helped guide South Dakota to the program's second-ever FCS playoff appearance.

Under his guidance, South Dakota true freshman cornerback Myles Harden was named an FCS Freshman All-American and led the nation in passes defended per game. Harden later landed on the active roster for the Cleveland Browns. Taylor was promoted to co-defensive coordinator before the 2025 season and assisted in the Coyotes' pass game plans.

Miles Taylor coaches during a South Dakota football practice. | South Dakota athletics

Taylor's defenses regularly limited foes at the FCS level, helping lead South Dakota to the playoffs in multiple seasons. The Coyotes' defense held opponents to 20 points per game during the team's 2022 playoff run and helped earn safety Elijah Reed a spot on the New York Jets undrafted free agent signing list. South Dakota also made deep playoff runs in 2023 and 2024, making the FCS quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

Nebraska's staff now features three coaches assigned to the defensive backs, as Addison Williams returns for another season as the secondary coach and Adam DiMichele is still listed on the Huskers' official staff page as an assistant secondary/safeties coach. Nebraska appears to have rounded out its hires for the 2026 season, although more movement is possible with special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler identified as a potential addition to the USC coaching staff.

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