Nebraska made the call on Dana Holgorsen, but the louder message came from everything that led up to it.
By Saturday morning, the Huskers had seen enough after another rough offensive showing, and Holgorsen was out. Glenn Thomas will step in as the interim playcaller, giving Nebraska a familiar option already on staff rather than reaching back to reinstall Marcus Satterfield.
Thomas, a longtime Rhule aide from Temple and Baylor, also called plays at Arizona State in 2022 and has been listed as a coordinator at Baylor and UNLV. He’s also a favorite of both Anthony Colandrea and incoming 2027 quarterback Trae Taylor.
The timing is what makes this so telling. Just five days earlier, Matt Rhule made it clear in his Monday press conference that Holgorsen’s job was secure and that the move upstairs for the Illinois game would be the only change Nebraska planned to make. That public show of confidence now looks like the part that really set off the alarm bells.
Nebraska’s offense left the program with no room to stand pat. After another game in which the Huskers threw 40+ times and still couldn’t reach 20 points, keeping Holgorsen in place would have only poured fuel on the frustration around the fanbase. The anger was already building, and the firing makes clear Nebraska knew it couldn’t afford to let it keep simmering.
Even with Holgorsen gone, the pressure isn’t going anywhere. The Huskers have lost four straight, and the calls for Rhule’s job aren’t going to fade unless Nebraska can turn things around fast.
Winning at least two of the final three regular-season games is the path that could calm things down. A win over Rutgers, followed by losses to Ohio State and Iowa, would leave Nebraska 6-6 after starting 5-0 - and that won’t satisfy anybody.
Rhule didn’t dodge the moment in his statement. He owned the state of the offense and made the change sound unavoidable.
"Like so many of you, I am angry, I am disappointed and I am frustrated with our results this season. 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."
He followed that with a blunt assessment of the unit Holgorsen was running.
“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."
For all the turbulence, one thing has been consistent in the Rhule era: he’ll move on from coaches when he decides it’s broken. Holgorsen becomes the latest coordinator to go, following John Butler over the last 18 months. Rhule also moved Satterfield from offensive coordinator to tight ends coach halfway through their second season in Lincoln.
That willingness to shuffle the staff is part of the story. So is the fact that Nebraska has had to do it this often in just four years.
In Other News...
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Nebraskas offensive coordinator search has quickly turned into a window into what Matt Rhule wants the Huskers to be on that side of the ball. After firing Dana Holgorsen, the program is looking for a replacement, and the early conversation has already started to clarify the direction of the offense. The next hire will not just fill a vacancy, but help define how Nebraska wants to play moving forward.
Kliff Kingsbury has been mentioned as a possible candidate while he is on the Los Angeles Rams staff, but he does not look like the cleanest match for what Nebraska appears to be seeking. Kingsburys NFL lean and his Air Raid background sit a little outside the more run-heavy approach the Huskers are expected to pursue, which makes the search feel less about name value and more about fit. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Assistants Should Feel The Heat After Another Costly Collapse
Matt Rhule has already shown he is willing to keep reshaping Nebraskas staff, and the churn has been hard to miss since he took over after the 2022 season. Between coordinator changes, the firing of offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen and turnover across several coaching spots, only a few original staff members are still in place as the program keeps searching for the right mix.
Special teams has become the latest area drawing scrutiny after another costly collapse, with field goal accuracy and return yardage standing out as persistent problems. When a team keeps finding new ways to lose close games, the pressure does not stay limited to the players, and there is a growing sense that more coaching changes could be coming before long. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Blackshirts Suddenly Have A Secondary Concern Fans Cant Ignore
Nebraskas defense had its roughest afternoon of the season in the loss to Illinois, and the numbers pointed to a unit that was stretched in more than one direction. The defensive line still brought heat, piling up 21 pressures and two sacks even without Anthony Jones, but the bigger concern came behind it, where the Blackshirts had trouble cleaning up plays and keeping the passing game in front of them.
Owen Chamblisss injury absence was part of the problem, and the ripple effect showed up in the secondary. Illinois completed 15 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns, with missed tackles and coverage busts turning routine snaps into damaging gains. For a defense that had largely held up before this game, the question now is whether the issues in the back end were a one-week lapse or the kind of concern that can linger. [Read more 🡒]