Nebraska’s slide has now cost Dana Holgorsen his job.
After a fourth straight loss and an offense that has gone cold, Matt Rhule moved on from the Huskers’ offensive coordinator on Saturday, one day after Nebraska fell 24-13 to Illinois and slipped to 5-4. The decision comes after Nebraska opened 5-0 and had people in Lincoln thinking big, only to watch the season veer off course.
Rhule didn’t hide his frustration in the statement announcing the move.
"Like so many of you, I am angry, I am disappointed and I am frustrated with our results this season," Rhule said in a statement. "As the head coach, I am ultimately responsible for every aspect of our program-including wins and losses-and it is my responsibility to make changes when they are warranted.
While there are many areas that need improvement, our offensive plan and execution is simply not working. Earlier today, I relieved offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen of his duties.
As I have recently shared, Dana has a fantastic offensive mind, he is a strong leader, and he has done great work here at Nebraska. But simply, we need a change.
Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas will take over play-calling duties."
The numbers tell the story. Nebraska averaged 13.5 points per game during the four-game losing streak, and after scoring 31 or more in each of its first five wins, it hasn’t reached 20 points in any of its defeats. The offense that looked sharp with transfer quarterback Anthony Colandrea has stalled since the fourth-quarter collapse against Indiana, leaving the defense to carry too much of the load.
Holgorsen’s run in Lincoln ends after just under three seasons. The 55-year-old, who previously led West Virginia and Houston, had taken over as offensive coordinator in 2024 and now will look for another job for 2027.
For the final three games, Nebraska will hand the offense to Glenn Thomas. Thomas has been the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Holgorsen since 2024, and he also brings prior OC stops at UNLV in 2020-21 and Arizona State in 2022.
He has also worked with Rhule before, serving as co-OC and quarterbacks coach at Temple and Baylor. Now he gets three games to make his case as Nebraska tries to stop the bleeding and keep a promising season from turning into a disaster.
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Taylor remains committed to Nebraska despite the recent slide and the dismissal of offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, and that matters for a staff trying to steady the offense and protect its recruiting momentum. With National Signing Day still ahead, the Cornhuskers have plenty of work left to do, but keeping a quarterback of Taylors caliber in the fold would go a long way toward easing the pressure around the programs direction. [Read more 🡒]
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Matt Rhule was brought in to steady the program, but the questions now are getting louder about whether his approach fits the Big Ten grind Nebraska has to survive. Quarterback Anthony Colandreas performance is part of the conversation, too, and the bigger concern is that the issues dont look isolated. They look connected, which is why the discussion around Rhules future is starting to feel less like outside noise and more like a real part of the season. [Read more 🡒]