- Common Fan Newsletter
- Posts
- Hiring Mike Ekeler is Arguably the Most Important Offseason Move for Nebraska Football
Hiring Mike Ekeler is Arguably the Most Important Offseason Move for Nebraska Football
If Ekeler can produce the kind of results he got at Tennessee, this will turn out to be the most important addition for Nebraska – player or coach – of the 2025 offseason.
TJ Birkel
February 06, 2025
You could hear the sighs of relief from South Sioux City to Scottsbluff. Church bells rang out and shouts of joy could be heard across the windswept plains. After an already busy and productive offseason, it was announced earlier this week that Nebraska has hired a new special teams coordinator. And not just any special teams coordinator: one of the best in the country, who just happens to be from Nebraska.
Perhaps I’m exaggerating a bit about the collective reaction across Husker Nation, but let’s face it: this was a much needed hire by Matt Rhule. Nebraska’s special teams units have struggled for longer than fans care to remember, costing the team wins with unforced errors and sloppy play. Rhule needed to make a bold move, and by all accounts the decision to bring in Ekeler is a home run.
I must admit, I was slightly concerned about Rhule’s comments regarding special teams when he spoke to the media this past weekend (before the Ekeler news had been announced). “I don't think anything we did wrong was wrong schematically last year,” the Coach said. “A lot of our problems stem at the snapper position and once that happens you're trying to compensate for things. It was not a good year from that perspective.” He went on to say: “I don't think we can put any more time into it in terms of practice. I don't think we can put any more time in terms of meetings.”
We’re big supporters of Rhule on the Common Fan Podcast, and I believe he absolutely has the program moving in the right direction. But I found these comments to be…