Who is John Butler and What Should Nebraska Fans Expect of Him?

Going into his 31st season as a coach, John Butler brings over a decade of professional football experience as coached in the National Football League and more than 20 years in college football.

Butler got his first coaching breakthrough at Texas, where he came in as a graduate assistant in 1997 after serving as the defensive coordinator at his alma mater, The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., since 1995. While Butler only spent two seasons at Texas, he was on the sidelines for the Longhorns’ 38-11 win over Mississippi State in the Cotton Bowl.

Shortly after, Butler accepted a full-time position as Midwestern State’s defensive coordinator, where he spent two years before going back to Texas to become Texas State’s new special teams coordinator. In 2003, Butler was appointed as Harvard’s new special teams coordinator and linebackers coach, where he spent the next three seasons with the Crimson and helping them go an undefeated 10-0 season and win the Ivy League title.

Butler’s first major coaching gig came in the fall of 2007, where he served as Minnesota’s special teams coordinator and linebackers coach during a Big Ten era defined by legendary head coach Jim Tressel. In his second season, the Golden Gophers earned the 20th spot in AP rankings, as Butler’s strategic mindset ranked Minnesota inside the top 10 across all special teams categories.

After only four seasons with the Golden Gophers, Butlers became South Carolina’s special teams coordinator in 2011, helping lead the Gamecocks to one of their best seasons in program history. That year, The Gamecocks finished their season ranking inside the top 10 nationally and finished with a 11-2 record. Butler’s early success in South Carolina caught the attention of other programs, as after just one season in Columbia, he would go on to become Penn State’s secondary coach in 2012, and eventually get promoted to defensive coordinator by the following year.

Nebraska defensive coordinator John Butler meets with the media after Tuesday's practice. — Nebraska defensive coordinator John Butler meets with the media after a practice. | Kaleb Henry

Under head coach Bill O’Brien, Butler thrived defensively, making the Nittany Lions one of best defenses in the nation-both against the run and the pass. During his time in University Park, his defense consistently ranked among the highest-scoring defenses across the nation, catching the eye of coaches in the National Football League.

In 2014 Bill O’Brien became the new head coach for the Houston Texans, bringing in his Penn State coaching staff, including Butler. For three seasons, Butler served as the Texans’ secondary coach, helping transform the Texans into one of the NFL’s best defenses and winning two AFC South titles. His defensive impact on the sidelines spoke for itself, ranking inside the top five for fewest yards allowed, fewest completions, and in the top three for forced turnovers.

In 2018, Butler was named the Buffalo Bills’ defensive backs coach, where he spent the next four seasons before becoming the team's passing game coordinator from 2022 to 2023. During his six years in Buffalo, the Bills continued to display their defensive success under Butler, who developed a young talented defense into a secondary filled with All-Pro players on the defensive end. His success in Buffalo came with five consecutive playoff appearances and AFC East titles and a trip to the AFC Championship in 2020.

Ranking in the top three in least total yards allowed per game, touchdowns allowed, and turnovers forced in each of his season, Butler’s impact in Buffalo's secondary was inevitable-and the Cornhusker took notice. Butler joined Nebraska’s staff as their pass game coordinator in 2024, helping elevate an already much improved defense into one of the best units in the country.

The departure of Tony White to become Florida State’s new defensive coordinator, left Nebraska with a vacancy in their coaching staff. Head coach Matt Rhule appointed Butler as the new defensive coordinator, where he made his play-calling debut in the Pinstripe Bowl game against Boston College.

Butler’s defense held the Eagles to just two points in the first half, showcasing relentless and aggressive attitude on the defensive side of the ball. The Cornhuskers would go on to win 20-15 against the Eagles, marking their first Bowl win since 2015, making Butler’s debut a memorable moment in both his coaching career and school’s history.

While fans only got a small glimpse of Butler’s defense, they can expect a blitz-heavy scheme, with as many as six rushers-confusing opposing quarterbacks and creating constant pressure in the pocket. Butler’s NFL experience provides complex, disguised coverages that create mismatches for offenses while trusting his defensive backs in man-to-man coverage. His exotic, big-play approach will be on full display in second and third downs, where Nebraska’s new-look defense will need to be aggressive and unpredictable to disrupt opposing offenses. Butler will continue to build on Nebraska’s recent defensive success, forcing turnovers both on the ground and through the air, allowing this young, talented defensive unit to thrive in Butler’s high-risk, high-reward playing style.

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.