College Football HQ

Why Nebraska's Matt Rhule was 'embarrassed' by Bill Belichick

Nebraska's second-year football coach invited Bill Belichick to spend some time with his team, and he was blown away by the experience.
James Parks|
Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule on the sideline during a football game.
Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule on the sideline during a football game. | Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Rhule is heading into his second year as head football coach at Nebraska, and before the season starts, he wanted to get a chance to learn from one of the greatest coaches ever.

He had that chance recently when former Patriots head coach and six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick joined the program to speak with him and the other Cornhuskers coaches, and Rhule said he was blown away by the experience.

"He is so smart. He's seen so much that he can make the complex so simple that it humbles you and embarrasses you," Rhule said of Belichick. "I was embarrassed yesterday listening to him. How smart he is. How simple it was."

Belichick departed the Patriots after last season and, though he hasn't retired from the game, he hasn't taken any official jobs with a team, instead taking some time to go around the country and meet with other coaches, including some he used to work with.

Among those schools he visited was Washington, where his son, Steve, is working as defensive coordinator for the Huskies football program, a job he took after spending a few years working for his father in the Patriots franchise.

Rhule hopes that some of Belichick's wisdom rubbed off on him and his fellow coaches heading into an important second season at Nebraska.

-

More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams

Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks

Published
James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He has covered football for a decade, previously managing several team sites and publishing national content for 247Sports.com for five years. His work has also been published on CBSSports.com. He founded College Football HQ in 2020, and the site joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022 and the On SI network in 2024.

Home/News