Matt Rhule Says Program Left from Scott Frost Was Worse Than Most Realize

The state of Nebraska football has fallen dramatically since the turn of the century, but from head coach Matt Rhule's comments earlier today, it may have been more than many realized.

Nebraska has long been one of the winningest programs in the history of the sport, with a tradition defined by national championships, legendary coaches, and players forever etched in the record books. Yet between 2017 and 2023, the program failed to make a single bowl game, posting a combined record of 28-52 (.350) in some of the lowest points in Husker football history. The extended struggles highlighted not just talent gaps but structural and developmental issues that Rhule has since begun to address.

Since taking over the program in 2023, Rhule has led the Huskers to two bowl appearances in three seasons, and while there's still a very clear gap between Nebraska and the pinnacle of the sport, it's time to take a look at how far they've truly come. While the wins don’t erase the history of underperformance, they serve as a visible marker of progress, signaling that the rebuild is underway.

With that in mind, here's a recap of Rhule's comments made on Dec. 19, and an analytical look at how much work has been done since the Huskers' current head coach took over the job.

Matt Rhule heads into his fourth offseason as Nebraska's head coach having signed an extension with the program until the 2032 season. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

To understand the weight of Rhule’s comments, it helps to look at the trajectory of Nebraska’s last four head coaches. Bo Pelini’s seven-year run from 2008 to 2014 remains the most stable stretch of the program’s post-2000 era. Pelini went 66–28, reached a bowl game every season, and never lost more than four games in a single year. While his tenure was often criticized for its ceiling, consistency was never the issue, as Nebraska remained nationally relevant, for the most part, during his time in Lincoln.

The program's stability began to erode under Mike Riley, who coached the Huskers for three seasons from 2015 to 2017. Riley finished 19–19 overall and guided Nebraska to bowl games in two of his three seasons, but the program’s identity slowly drifted. Under Riley, the gap between Nebraska and the Big Ten’s upper tier widened. The win totals were respectable on paper, but the foundation underneath the program showed visible cracks.

Scott Frost’s tenure marked the most dramatic downturn in modern program history. Across four full seasons and three games in a fifth, Frost compiled a 16–31 record and never led Nebraska to a bowl game. Hired to restore the Huskers' glory, the rebuild never materialized on the field. Close losses became routine, and by the time Frost was let go, Nebraska was far removed from even baseline competitiveness within the conference, let alone on the national stage.

Rhule inherited that reality in 2023 and, through three regular seasons, owns a 19–18 record with bowl appearances in two of his first three years. While the win percentage remains modest (.514), the trajectory has shifted upward. The record alone suggests a program that had fallen further than most wanted to admit, but one that is now slowly climbing back to where it believes it belongs.

Scott Frost came to Nebraska having been named the Consensus National Coach of the Year (2017) and was let go. — Scott Frost came to Nebraska having been named the Consensus National Coach of the Year (2017) and was let go after a 1-2 start to the 2022 season. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

With context in mind, Rhule’s blunt assessment of what he inherited when he arrived in Lincoln may finally be beginning to make sense. From his comments on Friday, Rhule acknowledged fan frustration but made it clear that the challenges facing the program extended far beyond wins and losses. “I understand people’s frustrations and things like that,” Rhule said. “But if anyone ever just understood what we walked into, they’d be amazed at what we’ve done behind the scenes.”

The head coach went on to explain that much of his early tenure was spent addressing foundational issues that typically aren’t required when taking over a Power Four program.

“I’ve had to do a lot of that stuff because someone else didn’t do it,” Rhule said. “I shouldn’t have had to do it. Some people take over programs; they don’t have to do that. We had to do a lot of stuff.”

While he didn’t name his predecessor directly, what he implied was more than obvious to whom it was directed. And whether right or wrong, now that it's out there, he brought up an interesting point.

Those comments offer insight into why Rhule’s first three seasons have looked different from previous regimes. Rhule emphasized rebuilding the program from the inside out. It’s a slower process, but one the Huskers' head coach believes is now beginning to pay off. “Now I get to be more involved with the football,” he said, seemingly noting much of the foundational work has already been done.

In that sense, what he addressed was meant as an explanation. Nebraska’s rebuild wasn’t simply about correcting a few bad seasons, it was about restoring the infrastructure of a program that had drifted far from the traits it once hung its hat on. As Rhule enters his fourth offseason in Lincoln, the focus is shifting from repair to refinement, with the expectation that the results on the field will increasingly reflect the work done behind the scenes.

Matt Rhule has added four assistant coaches to his staff since the end of the 2025 regular season. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Nebraska fans don’t need to be reminded that patience has worn thin. After nearly a decade without success, every staff change is met with skepticism. And Rhule’s comments come at a time when the fan base feels split between those willing to give him more runway and those who believe the program should already be further along in year three.

That tension is only heightened by the volume of changes Nebraska has made under Rhule. Multiple assistant coaches have now been replaced, and identity has shifted, particularly in the trenches, yet many fans are still asking the same question: Why did it take this long? Rhule’s comments offer at least part of that answer. He needed time to rebuild a program that, by his own admission, had been neglected.

There are only so many preverbal mulligans a head coach receives at a place like Nebraska, and Rhule appears fully aware of that reality. While he pointed to behind-the-scenes progress, the results on the field are ultimately what will define his tenure. Making two bowl games in three seasons represents tangible improvement, but it is not the standard Husker fans expect to settle into long term.

That consequently puts pressure on 2026. With the roster now shaped in Rhule’s image and a staff that reflects his vision more than ever, the margin for error narrows significantly. The work he says he shouldn’t have had to do is complete. What comes next will determine whether the Huskers' answer truly is Rhule, or they're left searching for yet another man.

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.