Nebraska’s 2025 coaching shuffle came with a little bit of everything: a fired defensive coordinator, a special teams coach who moved on after one year, a pair of dismissals on the defensive side, and an offensive line change that felt inevitable once the season was over.
Matt Rhule moved three assistants out and watched another leave after the 2025 regular season, then brought in seven new coaches from outside the program for 2026. The total number of new names on the official staff list was 13, though that includes people who were already in-house, like Nick Humphrey and Brett Maher, who are now listed in roles that allow them to help on the field during practices and games.
The larger number reflects a change made in the summer of 2024, when the rules on “countable” coaches shifted. Before that, Nebraska was limited to 11 countable coaches - the head coach plus 10 assistants - while others were stuck in meetings and film sessions. Now there’s more room on the field, and Rhule has used it.
The biggest move came with John Butler, who was fired as defensive coordinator. The positives were obvious enough: Nebraska finished with the nation’s No. 3 pass defense, and quarterbacks like Jayden Maiava and Brendan Sorsby had rough nights against the Huskers.
But the front never created much pressure, with Nebraska ranking 98th nationally in sacks and Javin Wright leading the team with just three. The run defense was also 98th, and Butler’s pre-Iowa comments - when he pointed toward a lack of size and talent and said the Huskers needed to attack the transfer portal - may have helped seal his fate.
Mike Ekeler is gone too, leaving for USC after one season as special teams coordinator. Under Ekeler, Nebraska’s special teams took a major step forward after years of being more liability than asset. His next stop puts him in charge of the linebackers at USC as well as special teams, and speculation centered on money, a position to coach, or both.
Terry Bradden, the former Chiefs assistant, was also fired after one season coaching the defensive line. The same concerns that applied to Butler applied here as well.
Donovan Raiola’s exit on the offensive line felt more complicated on the surface, but the end result was the same. Nebraska did help produce Emmett Johnson, the Huskers’ first first-team All-American running back since Mike Rozier in 1983.
Johnson’s 1,451 rushing yards gave Nebraska its first 1,000-yard rusher since Devine Ozigbo in 2018 and its most rushing yards by one player since Ameer Abdullah in 2014. Even so, the line’s pass protection was shaky, as Nebraska tied for 112th nationally in fewest sacks allowed per game.
Some of the pressure also landed on Dylan Raiola, and the offense as a whole finished 80th nationally in rushing yards per game. Taken together, the results in Raiola’s years in Lincoln and the apparent desire to break from the Raiola family made the move seem unavoidable.
Rhule’s incoming class is a big one, and it starts with Rob Aurich, who arrives as defensive coordinator after serving in the same role at SDSU in 2024-25. Corey Brown comes in as defensive line coach after coaching that group at Miami Ohio from 2023-25. Roy Manning joins as defensive edges coach, with stops at SDSU, USC, Oklahoma, UCLA, Washington St, Michigan and Cincinnati on his resume.
On offense, Lonnie Teasley takes over as run game coordinator after working as South Carolina’s offensive line coach from 2023-25 and spending time at UNCC, Arkansas - PB, Tennessee Tech, the Baltimore Ravens, Temple and Delaware St. Geep Wade comes in as offensive line coach after holding the same job at Georgia Tech from 2023-25, along with previous stops at Appalachian St, UT-Martin, East Carolina, Middle Tennessee, Marshall, Chattanooga, Midwestern St, Tennessee and Mars Hill.
Tyker Yelk rounds out the group as safeties coach after serving as a defensive assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2023-25. His earlier stops include Idaho, Temple, Northern Illinois, South Dakota, Western Illinois and Minnesota-Duluth.
In Other News...
Emmett Johnson Showed Chiefs Fans Why Nebraska Believed In Him
Emmett Johnson got his first real preseason spotlight with the Kansas City Chiefs, and the former Nebraska running back gave plenty of reason to think he belongs on an NFL roster. In the Chiefs' opening preseason game, the late 2026 draft pick started at running back and handled 12 carries for 59 yards while adding three catches for 10 yards, showing the kind of versatility that made Nebraska believe in him in the first place.
The box score did not capture every bit of his day, either, with some key runs wiped out by penalties and a touchdown run coming off the board. Even so, Johnson looked like a back who could grow into a useful role behind Kenneth Walker III, and he admitted afterward that pass protection is still an area he needs to sharpen. For a player trying to carve out a place in a crowded backfield, that next step may matter just as much as the burst and balance he already brought to the field. [Read more 🡒]
Former Nebraska Standout Put His NFL Push On Hold For One Reason
Ceyair Wrights NFL push hit pause during Bengals fall camp when the former Nebraska standout stepped away to chase an acting opportunity. Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor confirmed the move and said it was not an easy decision for Wright, whose path has long included both football and acting.
Wright is no stranger to the screen, with prior work that includes Space Jam 2 and Grown-ish, and he has made it clear he wants to keep both doors open. For now, the timing is set by the project in front of him, with a return to football expected after filming wraps in October. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Rhule May Finally Have Nebraska Built For A Big Ten Push
Nebraska is three weeks from the 2026 season and already deep into its second week of fall camp, with Matt Rhule entering his fourth year and the program looking more settled than it has at any point in his tenure. Rhule has reshaped the coaching staff and brought in experienced transfer help, giving the Huskers a more veteran feel as they try to turn offseason optimism into something sturdier against Big Ten competition.
The early signs have been encouraging on both sides of the ball. The offensive line appears improved, the running backs are carrying more confidence, and quarterback Anthony Colandrea has shown enough promise to keep the offense moving in the right direction. On defense, new coordinator Rob Aurich is expected to tighten things up, and if that carries over once the games start, Nebraska may finally have the kind of balance it has been chasing. [Read more 🡒]