Tag: Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule

Matt Rhule confirms who will call offensive plays in 2024

Who will call plays in 2024?

During his national signing day press conference on Wednesday, head coach Matt Rhule was asked about the addition of co-offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas and who will call plays in 2024. The man in charge was blunt and unwavering in his response.

“I told you guys from the beginning that ‘Satt’ (Marcus Satterfield) was going to be the O.C., Satt is the offensive coordinator. Glenn is coming in as the co-offensive coordinator to work with him. Satt is going to call plays. Glenn (Thomas) will be intimately involved in play design and all that.”

Satterfield struggled in his first season in Lincoln. In 2023, Nebraska ranked 123rd in scoring, averaging a paltry 18.0 points per game and 125th in total offense, averaging only 312 yards per game.

One change in 2024 will be Thomas taking over quarterback coach responsibilities from Satterfield. The Husker offensive coordinator will now take over the tight ends coaching position and play caller.

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Huskers visit with three-star edge rusher

A class of 2024 prospect received a visit from Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule earlier in the week.

A class of 2024 prospect received a visit from Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule earlier in the week. Three-star edge rusher Jordan Ochoa announced on social media that he also met with offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield on Wednesday morning.

Ochoa went unsigned during the December signing period and is still looking for a major offer before February. He had previously visited the Lincoln campus on two separate occasions.

A report from HuskerOnline states that the Husker staff has focused on Ochoa playing the Jack linebacker in Tony White’s 3-3-5 defense. The recruit is also receiving interest from Colorado State.

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Rhule says ‘some people weren’t happy with me’ about NIL comments

Rhule says ‘some people weren’t happy with me’ about NIL comments

Matt Rhule continues to make headlines while discussing the future of name, image and likeness practices and rules in college football. Earlier this month, the Huskers’ head coach trended on social media after addressing the cost of a starting quarterback in the transfer portal.

“Make no mistake: a good quarterback in the portal costs $1 million to $1.5 million to $2 million right now. So, just so we’re on the same page, right? Let’s make sure we all understand what’s happening. There are some teams that have six or seven $1 million players playing for them.”

When discussing Rhule’s recent comments, Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck agreed with the comment but stated his team would not spend that kind of money.

“That’s a true statement. That’s not necessarily what and how we do it. I’ve heard those same things, but those aren’t coming out of our camp. He’s (Rhule) not talking about us, I’ll put it that way.”

While appearing on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday afternoon, Rhule said some coaches weren’t so happy with his comments.

“I’ll tell you some people were not happy with me. I’ve had some other college coaches kinda get on me a said ‘Matt, you reset the market.’ But I do think that it’s important that people know. I went to the NFL. I’m going to say what I think is right. At the end of the day, there are no contracts.”

That wasn’t all Rhule discussed with McAfee. You can find more highlights from his interview below.

Rhule sees progress for the Huskers moving forward

Nebraska head football coach Matt Rhule met with the press following the Cornhuskers 13-10 loss to Iowa.

Nebraska head football coach Matt Rhule met with the press following the Cornhuskers 13-10 loss to Iowa. The Husker head coach told the media that he believes that all the mistakes and errors on Friday can be corrected moving forward.

“Oh it’ll all be fixed. It’ll all be improved. Maybe this is about where we are right now. Sometimes people see it from the outside and they think, ‘wow they really messed that up’ or ‘another short loss.’ I see it as, ‘Man these guys, how many guys go down and continue to put guys in, and we just battle right?’”

The head coach made a point of telling the press how proud he was of his team.

“There will be a day where we have seven wide receivers traveling with us and active. Those things will happen. We’re just not quite there yet and that’s why I’m so proud of these guys. They battle, they fight and we don’t make excuses. We just come back. I think that’s the key. Moving forward I think they ran the ball on us a couple times. I think we had to continue to develop our run defense and our ability to run the football. We couldn’t run the ball in the game to the level that we wanted and that’s what they did really well. He (Coach Ferentz) has been there a long time. They have a formula, we came down there, we battled and we couldn’t quite get it done.”

With the loss, Nebraska ended the 2023 season with a record of 5-7. The Cornhuskers will open the 2024 campaign on August 31st against UTEP. Find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s loss to Iowa below.

Matt Rhule endorses Tony White for head coaching opportunities

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has endorsed defensive coordinator for head coaching opportunities

With the annual coaching carousel already underway, Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White has been named as a potential candidate for two opening head coaching jobs.

Previously, Cornhuskers Wire discussed White’s potential candidacy at San Diego State, where he previously was the Aztecs cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator. Now, with Dino Babers being fired at Syracuse, White, who was the Orange’s defensive coordinator in 2022, is being considered a potential candidacy for that opening as well.

On Monday, Nebraska head football coach Matt Rhule was asked about Tony White and his name being named as a potential candidate for the job openings.

“Go get a job, I told Tony,” Rhule said. “A search firm called me and asked for Tony’s number and I said, yes, Tony White should be a head coach, he’s excellent.

“I tell Tony don’t take the wrong one. Don’t take the wrong job now, don’t take a job with no resources. Don’t take a job with no support. Don’t take a job without a great recruiting base. Don’t take a job where the expectations outweigh the commitment,” Rhule added.

In White’s first season as the defensive coordinator for Nebraska, the Huskers’ defense has posted the 19th-best scoring defense in the country, allowing just 18.7 points per game. A significant improvement from the 27.6 points per game that they allowed in 2022.

The 44-year-old White has been considered a fast-rising coach over the last several years with successful stints at Arizona State, Syracuse, and now Nebraska as a defensive coordinator. Even if the 44-year-old returns to Lincoln in 2024 for a second season as the Huskers’ defensive coordinator, his days with the program are likely numbered as a head coaching opportunity should come his way sooner than later.

Find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s season below.

Nebraska falls in overtime to Wisconsin

Based off the first two drives, it seemed as though Nebraska came to dominate on offense against Wisconsin.

Based on the first two drives, it seemed as though Nebraska came to dominate on offense against Wisconsin. But those hopes were soon extinguished on a gutsy fourth-down call by head coach Matt Rhule. Instead of attempting a 50-yard field, the Huskers went for it on fourth and one, only to be halted by the Badgers.

Then everything changed. Wisconsin outscored Nebraska 24-3 from there on out, resulting in a 24-17 overtime win for the Badgers.

Chubba Purdy earned the start for the Huskers and delivered the best showing by a Nebraska quarterback in the last few weeks. Purdy threw for 169 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 105 yards and a touchdown. Purdy’s touchdown pass saw him throw a dot to freshman Jaylen Lloyd, who broke a tackle and took off for a score.

But Nebraska never found its way into the endzone after that. Tristan Alvano sent the game into overtime with a 30-yard field goal after missing a 42-yarder earlier, but the inconsistent offensive play resulted in the loss.

Despite surrendering 24 points, the defense made big stops on the night, including back-to-back fourth down stops and holding Braelon Allen to just 62 yards rushing. Allen did score two touchdowns as Wisconsin slowly but surely worked its way into the endzone each time.

Nebraska falls to 5-6 on the season and will return home to host Iowa on Friday afternoon. The Huskers need to win their season finale to become bowl-eligible. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and can be viewed on CBS.

Rhule calls change of offensive coordinator ‘ridiculous’

Nebraska fans have been vocal about the current state of the Husker offense.

Nebraska fans have been vocal about the current state of the Husker offense. Following the team’s five-turnover loss to Maryland last Saturday, fans vented their frustration on social media.

Head coach Matt Rhule told the media on Monday afternoon that fans can and should give voice to their opinions.

“The fans should do that. I have no problem with that. The fans can be critical of me. The fans should be critical of Satt (Marcus Satterfield), the fans should be critical. You come to the game and you sit there. For me, it’s not ‘oh we got this many guys,’ That’s not me. I think even within the coaching community we play them, then they talk to us afterwards. I think in year one, with as many injuries that we’ve had and different things that have happened, I think we’ve never made an excuse.”

Through ten games this season, the Huskers are ranked 114th in the nation in total offense, with an average of 312.5 yards per game. They also rank 118th in scoring offense, with an average of 18.5 points per game.

“We show up each week and we battle, we have a chance to be in every game. I think our guys are fighting their tails off. I never talk about changing the culture, but I do believe in instilling a culture. When you want to instill a culture, a mindset and I think all of that is happening. I think if people can’t feel that, but if you say to yourself ‘hey is this headed in the right direction?’ I got two freshmen, Jaylen (Lloyd) catching balls behind his hip, it’s going to continue to get better and better.”

While Rhule agreed with the idea of fans venting their frustrations, he had blunt words for anyone looking for a change in coordinator or a change in philosophy.

“The answer in life sometimes is always to just change everything. Players want to transfer, everybody wants their head coach to fire everybody. Has that worked out here? Where has that worked out? Just firing assistant coaches and coordinators? So we want the whole offense to start over again with a whole new language next year? I’m not doing that, that’s ridiculous.”

It’s no surprise to see these comments from Rhule, as he and Marcus Satterfield have a history together. The two worked together as assistants at Western Carolina during the 2005 season.

Satterfield would then join Rhule’s inaugural staff at Temple as an assistant. He would offer him the offensive coordinator position shortly after hiring him when the original choice at OC, Nick Rolovich, backed out of the job.

Regardless of what fans may be looking for, Nebraska will not be making a change at offensive coordinator any time in the near future. Find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s 2023 season below.

What’s next for Nebraska at quarterback?

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have a problem at quarterback.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have a problem at quarterback. The Huskers started the game with Heinrich Haarberg under center but were forced to pivot to former starter Jeff Sims and then backup Chubba Purdy.

All three quarterbacks would throw an interception for a total of four picks (Jeff Sims threw two). Following the team’s 13-10 loss to Maryland, head coach Matt Rhule discussed the play of his quarterbacks and was less than pleased.

“Heinrich (Haarberg) went out there. We had discussed he’s been a little beat up lately. Maybe we’ll give Jeff (Sims) a series. Heinrich came out with the ankle. They cleared him to go back in but he was trying to run and he looked like he was laboring. So we went with Jeff. We had two turnovers, really three. The fumble, it’s a quarterback counter. It’s not there.”

After the injury to Haarberg and the turnovers by Sims, the Huskers then turned to Chubba Purdy. Rhule told the media that once your third quarterback enters the game, anything can happen.

“Let’s give Chubba (Purdy) a shot. Chubba started moving us down the field. We were in a position to win the game. Anytime you put the third guy who hasn’t gotten many reps, things can happen. The same play he pulled the ball on, it looked like a bad snap. Where I am looking from, you can’t tell why he ran the ball. We wanted to run the clock there and get the ball tight. Have a safe third down call and kick a field goal, then let the defense go win it. Even with the fumble, I told the team there will always be different narratives.”

The head coach went on to say that at some point, the turnovers have to stop.

“It’s not good enough when you have that many turnovers yet again. It has to stop at some point.”

Rhule has yet to give an indication of who will start at quarterback for Nebraska next weekend. The Huskers will take the field this Saturday when they travel to Wisconsin. Kick-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. from Camp Randall Stadium.

Find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s loss to Maryland below.

Husker defense ready for test against Maryland

Nebraska is preparing to face Maryland this Saturday at Memorial Stadium and head coach Matt Rhule knows that the Husker defense will be tested by Terrapins offense. Rhule told the media that the staff and team can look back to prepare for the …

Nebraska is preparing to face Maryland this Saturday at Memorial Stadium and head coach Matt Rhule knows that the Husker defense will be tested by Terrapins offense. Rhule told the media that the staff and team can look back to prepare for the future.

“I think we go back and look at Michigan State. It’s the same game as lots of other games. When we gave up a big play and we tackled it. We go back to Northwestern. It was three trips to the red zone and it was three field goals. This past game the ball got down there and it was a touchdown. The ball game gets a little bit away from you and it was 20-10 it wasn’t really that far away, it ended up being 20-17.

Linebacker Luke Reimer told the media that the Maryland offense may appear to be one-dimensional but says that’s far from the truth.

“They just throw the ball around a lot. When they run it too, they’re successful in the run game. They’re not just a completely one-sided team. They have stable backs that are pretty solid, so we have to make sure when they run the ball, we tackle it well. They pass the ball I think 75% of the time or something crazy like that, so we have to make sure that when they do run it, we knock it out to make them one-dimensional. We have to be able to cover guys in scramble drill and keep their quarterback in the pocket and make throws hard for him. They’re obviously a great team, so we’re excited for it.”

The Huskers will face Maryland this Saturday at 11:00 a.m., which can be viewed on Peacock. Find more comments from head coach Matt Rhule on Nebraska’s defense below

Nebraska’s head coach discusses sign-stealing conversations in the Big Ten

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule met with the media on Monday afternoon.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule met with the media on Monday afternoon. One of the topics of conversation continues to be the allegations of sign stealing against the Michigan Football team.

Nebraska lost to the Wolverines in the fifth game of the regular season by a score of 45-7. The head coach of the Cornhuskers was asked about the allegations and if he has had any recent conversations with other conference coaches or Big Ten officials.

“No one is having conversations with me. At the end of the day, what’s the Husker prayer? Dear Lord, the battles we go through in life, we ask for a chance that’s fair. That’s all I want. Every game, I want the 60 minutes of the game to be fair, not tilted one way or the other. I just think I want to do things right so our players learn the difference between right and wrong, even in competitive equity.”

He also expressed frustration at the manner in which some people have defended the alleged actions against the Wolverines.

“I think it’s a shame when people say ‘well, it wouldn’t have mattered.’ It is what it is. Other people have talked about it. It happened, whether it affected it or not, none of that matters to me. I just feel bad for our guys. They look at me like ‘hey, coach, what are you doing about this?’ So I do feel like I need to say something on their behalf. We carry this record, but I just want everything to be fair. That’s all I care  about.”

Nebraska will now prepare to host the Maryland Terrapins at Memorial Stadium this Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and can be seen on Peacock. You can find a photo gallery of Nebraska’s loss to Michigan below.