The Promise of Matt Rhule

By T.J. Birkel

Turnovers. After all the talk about coaches over the last month, after all the kicking of tires and looking under rocks to try to figure out what’s gone wrong and what could have been different for Nebraska football since Tom Osborne retired, the first thing Mike’l Severe brought up as the main culprit for the program’s struggles was Nebraska’s turnover margin. 

Husker fans don’t need to see the data to be convinced (although for those who are interested, Mitch Sherman had an excellent breakdown of the problem late last season). We know the story all too well; we’ve seen it over multiple coaching staffs, multiple starting quarterbacks, multiple offensive schemes. As Mitch points out, Nebraska has only been positive in turnover margin twice since the 2003 season; the Huskers have been by far the worst Power 5 college football program in that category. Nebraska ended the 2023 season at -17 in turnover margin. That’s not a recipe for getting a program back to its first bowl game in seven years. It’s shocking how long this has been a problem for Nebraska. Is this some sort of curse? Did someone on one of those championship teams of previous decades make a deal with the devil? 

The good news is, I believe Matt Rhule will get it fixed. More on that in a moment. We launched Episode 6 of The Reckoning series this week: The Promise of Matt Rhule. Long time radio host Mike’l Severe and sportswriter Brandon Vogel joined us to put a bow on the discussion about the last 25 years of Nebraska football, and to look forward to the Rhule era. 

Details, Details, Details

When asked what stood out about Coach Rhule, the first thing Mike’l said was, “Matt Rhule is the most thoughtful coach I've ever interviewed in football.” He meant it in the sense that Rhule is contemplative; he focuses on every little detail that could give his team an advantage. Whether that’s digging into how much rest the team needs after a road trip or evaluating which sideline the team should stand on so they can minimize sun exposure, in Mike’l’s words, Rhule “does not let anything go.”

This seems like good news for the turnover conversation. As Mike’l told us, "He's going to keep turning over stones and not giving it (fixing the turnover problem) up until it actually happens." Fixing the turnover problem probably would have resulted in two to three more wins last season. The proof will have to be in the performance, but it’s refreshing to know the head man is doing everything in his power to flip the script on the turnover front. 

Brandon and Mike’l also commented on Coach Rhule’s humble approach. He’s willing to try new things, willing to learn about a place that’s new to him. He knows what worked for him at other coaching stops, but also not afraid to admit what he doesn’t know, and to tweak his approach to maximize his team’s success.  

An open-minded coach who’s willing to admit he doesn’t have all the answers, and committed enough to drilling down on the details until he finds the solution he’s looking for? Sign me up. 

Coach Rhule Doesn’t Stand Pat

The discussion on this latest Reckoning episode reminded me of our conversation with longtime Omaha radio man Gary Sharp’s words when he came on the podcast in December. Sharp told us Rhule “doesn’t stand pat,” and boy has that proven to be true over the course of this offseason. The Huskers had some glaring needs at the end of last year. The offense was abysmal in 2023; they were lacking playmakers at just about every skill position; and, more broadly, Husker fans were worried about Offensive Coordinator Marcus Satterfield’s ability to turn things around. What does Coach Rhule do? He brings in the top quarterback recruit in the country in Dylan Raiola; addresses nearly every hole on the roster through the transfer portal; and hires Glenn Thomas to be Quarterbacks Coach and Co-Offensive Coordinator. The results will ultimately need to play out on the field, but Coach Rhule attacked the team’s weaknesses the minute last season was over. 

Consistent with what Mike’l told us, there is plenty of evidence that Rhule does not let anything go as he pursues getting Nebraska back to relevance in the college football universe. 

Contrast with Other Recent Husker Coaches

As we focused on Matt Rhule and what makes him tick, I couldn’t help but think about the contrast in his qualities compared with those of other recent Nebraska head coaches. Experienced. Humble. Thoughtful. Detail-oriented. Proven turnaround artist. If you think about it, it’s been a long time since Nebraska had a coach that checked all those boxes. One could argue the most comparable coach to Matt Rhule at the beginning of his tenure was…dare I say…Bob Devaney? 

Think about it. Mike’l suggested the main reason Scott Frost failed was hubris. He brought a staff with zero Big 10 experience (and very little Power 5 experience) to Nebraska, and then was arguably too slow to make adjustments when things weren’t working. Mike Riley viewed Nebraska as, in his own words, “one last adventure,” and at times it seemed he wasn’t always involved in every aspect of the team. Bo Pelini was stubborn to a fault. Bill Callahan didn’t get Nebraska and didn’t seem interested in trying. Compared to these guys, Rhule seems to have the right combination of caring and want-to; determination to get it right; appreciation for the history of the program and passion of the fan base; and the humility to understand that he doesn’t have all the answers. 

This is not meant to bag on previous coaches. They all had their strong suits, and there were moments when we believed each of them would work. Further, Matt Rhule of course has flaws, and you know Husker fans will be the first to point them out if the ship doesn’t turn around. But early indications are that he has the right temperament to make it work in Lincoln for the long haul. 

Rhule Loves it in Lincoln

Speaking of Lincoln…this didn’t come up on the episode, but it’s worth revisiting, as just this week I’ve seen conversations on social media about how long Coach Rhule will be at Nebraska. When the Huskers hired Rhule, even before he had coached a game for the Big Red, some Husker fans were already worried about what would happen if he got things going at Nebraska, and then the Penn State job opened up. Rhule played at Penn State in the ‘90s – wouldn’t he jump at the chance to coach his alma mater? More recently, when Trev Alberts inexplicably accepted the job to be Texas A&M’s Athletic Director, fans once again worried that Rhule would be the next to leave. Rhule quickly put any concern to rest, tweeting a video montage of Husker football highlights set to Paul Harvey’s famous, “So God Made a Farmer” speech. He came out publicly shortly thereafter, saying he’s not going anywhere. His wife is starting a business in Lincoln; his parents are moving to the state; his son is enrolled at the University. Not that long ago, he was on stage with Zach Bryan in Omaha for crying out loud! I don’t think Common Fans need to stress about Rhule leaving any time soon. As Evan Bland told us in a previous episode, “He’s really comfortable in the fish bowl. You see Matt Rhule at pro wrestling events…storming the court at basketball games…endorsing local restaurants…these are things that no Nebraska coach has ever done.” 

That’s another contrast to recent coaches. We shouldn’t discount the pressure that comes with coaching at a place like Nebraska. It’s certainly not for everyone, and previous head coaches have bristled at some elements of the CEO part of the job. Rhule seems to eat it up. He loves Nebraska, loves the people, and wants more than anything to turn the Huskers back into a winner. Now we just need to get the football part right. 

The 2024 season can’t get here soon enough. 

We’d love to hear your contribution to this discussion, fellow Common Fans. Send us an email at [email protected], comment on YouTube, or message us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. 

And in the meantime, GBR for LIFE. 

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NOTE: Thanks so much to special guest Brandon Vogel from the Counter Read, who joined us for all of The Reckoning episodes. For each episode, we also had a featured guest: someone from the Nebraska sports media who covered the era being examined. Episodes will be released every Monday for six weeks, starting June 17.