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Nebraska Moves Quickly to Add Safeties Coach with Aurich Ties

Two days after losing Miles Taylor to the NFL, Rob Aurich found his replacement in the very league Taylor left for.
Trevor Tarr|
Tyler Yelk served on the Philadelphia Eagles staff from 2023-2025 before joining Nebraska's staff.
Tyler Yelk served on the Philadelphia Eagles staff from 2023-2025 before joining Nebraska's staff. | Philadelphia Eagles

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Nebraska football didn’t let uncertainty linger long in the wake of Miles Taylor’s abrupt departure.

Just two days after the Huskers were left without a dedicated safeties coach, head coach Matt Rhule and new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich moved quickly to stabilize the position group, hiring NFL defensive assistant Tyler Yelk to join the staff. The news, not yet officially announced, was first reported Friday by CBS Sports and confirmed by multiple news outlets.

For a position room that was suddenly in flux, the move provides immediate coaching clarity. It also gives Aurich a familiar assistant on his new-look defensive staff, as Yelk and Aurich were teammates at Minnesota-Duluth and have coached together at previous stops.

While Taylor’s exit after just 19 days on staff raised eyebrows, the quick response from Nebraska suggests this staff never intended to leave a key developmental role unresolved. Here's the latest on the Huskers' newest assistant coach.

Yelk comes to Lincoln after spending the past three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, most recently as a defensive assistant during one of the most dominant defensive runs in recent NFL history. In 2024, Philadelphia led the league in total defense, passing defense, points allowed, opponent three-and-out percentage, and forced fumbles, while tying an NFL record with 18 combined regular-season and postseason wins en route to being crowned Super Bowl LIX champions. Before that, Yelk served as the Eagles’ assistant to the head coach in 2023, filling a variety of roles.

But before he became an NFL assistant, Yelk sharpened his teeth in the FCS at multiple stops where Aurich was alongside. In 2022, he coached safeties at Idaho, where the Vandals finished among the national leaders in interceptions and ranked near the top of the Big Sky in passing defense. Before that, Yelk spent multiple seasons at Temple and Northern Illinois, mentoring All-MAC and NFL-caliber defensive backs while helping his unit consistently rank among conference leaders in several defensive metrics.

Notably for Nebraska, Yelk also brings experience from South Dakota, serving as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach during a stretch that included several playoff appearances and a Missouri Valley Football Conference best in sacks. Not only is his résumé impressive by itself, but his experience coaching alongside Nebraska's defensive coordinator will do well at preparing the secondary for the 4-2-5 scheme that will be implemented over the coming months.

Taylor’s brief stint with the Huskers always felt more like a luxury than a necessity, particularly after Addison Williams guided Nebraska’s secondary to becoming the second-best unit in pass defense without a safeties coach on staff in 2025. Still, adding Yelk gives the Huskers a dedicated voice in a room filled with both proven upperclassmen and high-upside youth. It also provides the luxury of more one-on-one development for players, with Williams' room essentially being halved.

Nebraska returns veterans like Rex Guthrie and Justyn Rhett, along with transfer additions Dwayne McDougle and Jasin Shiggs. The room also features younger players like Caleb Benning, Jamir Conn, Braylen Prude, and Mario Buford, who continue to push for expanded roles. With Yelk now in place, those players gain a coach whose track record suggests production and development quickly follow his arrival. For the players closer to vying for starting roles, they gain a man who can directly tell them what will be expected of them at the next level.

Safeties on the roster: Dwayne McDougle, Rex Guthrie, Jasin Shiggs, Justyn Rhett, Caleb Benning, Jamir Conn, Braylen Prude, Mario Buford, Thomas D'Onofrio, Tanner Terch

Additions: McDougle, Shiggs

This past week underscored just how fluid college football coaching staffs have become, with NFL movement, high school head coaching opportunities, and last-minute changes all colliding at once. But Nebraska’s response suggests the staff was prepared for contingencies. And in all honesty, at least with this hire, seem to have come out just fine.

Spring ball now approaches with clarity restored in the secondary, and with a coach whose experience aligns directly with what Nebraska, under Aurich, believes it can be defensively. That's a great sign heading into an offseason full of mental development just as much as physical.

For a head coach trying to establish momentum heading into year four in Lincoln, the outside noise certainly could've been quieter. However, it's hard to knock a coaching staff for how they navigate something nobody truly understands. College football changes faster than seemingly anyone can keep up, so credit to Rhule and Aurich for making the best of what they got.

Yelk helps take over a secondary that was the most promising unit on the 2025 team. Though several members of the rotation have moved on from the program, there are plenty of remaining players who helped achieve that success. He won't necessarily be asked to produce All-Big Ten selections from his room, but if his experience suggests anything, he's more than capable of doing just that.

For Nebraska to find success on the defensive side of the ball next season, major steps forward in defensive cohesion will need to be made. With what seems like Aurich's route to addressing that, hiring coaches experienced in his system to the staff, the Huskers are well on their way toward being more fundamentally sound next fall. Ultimately, it will still come down to players making the plays, but with Yelk's addition, they now have four defensive coaches with extensive experience in the 4-2-5.

It won't necessarily correlate to instant success on the field, but it should be leaps and bounds ahead of what the Huskers had last year, when former defensive coordinator John Butler was forced to run a defensive scheme he had little experience in. Expect Yelk to be somewhat of a heavy talking point as spring ball approaches, but for now, he'll put his head down and get to work alongside Aurich.

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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.

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