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Big Ten Media Days mark the unofficial start of Nebraska football coverage, but before diving into transfer portal names and quarterback battles, one question matters more than any roster spot: has Nebraska’s coaching staff finally caught up to its talent? That’s the central storyline of Rhule’s fourth season, and it starts with looking at who’s no longer here.
Fred Hoiberg is a useful comparison. The Nebraska basketball coach spent several rough years before the pieces clicked, and Husker fans stuck with him. He rewarded that patience with the program’s first NCAA Tournament wins IN FOREVER.
Rhule is being given the same runway, and year four is when patience needs to start showing results.
The offensive line has been Nebraska’s clearest problem.
Under former line coach Donovan Raiola, protection issues were constant, and a slower-footed Dylan Raiola at quarterback made those breakdowns worse. Nebraska brought in Geep Wade from Georgia Tech, a coach with more than two decades of experience, to fix it. Whether that room finally holds up against Big Ten fronts is the single biggest reason to believe in this offense.
Defensively, John Butler is out after the Blackshirts collapsed down the stretch last season. Rob Aurich, hired away from a San Diego State defense that finished top-5 nationally in scoring, brings a new 4-2-5 scheme and a track record of turning units around quickly at multiple stops.
There’s also the Dana Holgorsen question. After replacing Marcus Satterfield, Holgorsen never fully looked like himself calling plays. Has Holgorsen actually been running HIS offense?
With a full offseason and (hopefully) a Rhule willing to let him coach, this could be the year Holgorsen’s offense actually looks like Holgorsen’s offense.
None of this guarantees wins.
But it does mean Rhule enters 2026 with coordinators who’ve produced results before, wishful thinking.
That’s a real shift from years of hoping potential turned into production. Whether Rhule has also fixed his in-game management remains the open question — but for the first time in a while, the staff around him looks built to succeed.
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