Husker Nation got to meet new Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule on Monday as he was introduced at a press conference held inside of the Hawks Championship Center.
Athletic Director Trev Alberts welcomed those in attendance and detailed a little bit of the process that led to offering Rhule an 8-year, $74-million dollar deal that also includes a $7-million pool for assistant coaches.
Alberts said he made contact with a total of 13 coaches but ultimately said that Rhule was 1A in his search.
As for Rhule, who previously made stops and resurrections of programs at Temple and Baylor, said that this place and this time was perfect for him and his family. Rhule said that there was a time it was believed a deal wouldn’t get done, but neither side gave up and came to an agreement on Thanksgiving day.
Rhule preached on becoming a developmental program that can compete for conference and national championships while helping his players succeed on the football field and in life.
Rhule met with current players early on Monday morning and was planning on meeting with the current coaching staff yesterday afternoon and this morning. It is unclear at this point if any of the current coaches will be retained by the new staff.
The new staff is already coming together as South Carolina offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield is expected to join Rhules staff as is Evan Cooper who previously served as recruiting coordinator and cornerbacks coach on Rhule’s previous staff. Former Denver Broncos Terrance “Pork Chop” Knighton is also a new hire after serving as an assistant D-line coach with the Carolina Panthers.
The ball will get rolling even faster at the end of the week as coaches can make in-home visits with recruits starting Friday and the transfer portal ramps up next Monday.
74 million if he can produce a winning season? Why throw good money after bad if he can’t.