Nebraska football was once great, and many believe that they can soon return to their former glory. But this dream and idea can bring out the worst part of the fanbase, their toxicity and hurry to place blame.
In the late 1900s, Nebraska was a dominant football program, winning back-to-back national championships in ‘70 and ‘71, and then taking home the national title in ‘94, ‘95, and ‘97.
Since then, and in the last 10 years especially, the program has been on a steep decline, winning less than 42% of their games, and having not made a bowl game since 2016.
The coaching staff has been unstable ever since the firing of Bo Pelini in 2014. After seven consecutive years of making a bowl game with four losses, Pelini was fired for “not having success.” Funny how quick standards can change in just a matter of years.
Following Pelini’s firing, Mike Riley took the head coaching job. It didn’t last long, with Riley fired after just three years and a combined record of 19-19. Riley also coached the last bowl-eligible team, the 2016 roster with a record of 9-4, who was at one point ranked No. 7 in the country on the AP poll.
After Riley’s stint as head coach, the Huskers hired former UCF head coach Scott Frost, the quarterback of the 1997 national championship Cornhuskers team. After Frost’s 13-0 undefeated season at UCF the previous year, Nebraska fans had high hopes that he would finally bring the Huskers back to glory. But those hopes would soon be crushed with the Huskers going 15-29 over the next four years.
Chemistry teacher and Nebraska Alumni Joshua Hoins was very invested in the football team during his time as a student from 2019 -2023, and formed his own thoughts on the coaching staff.
“I think he needed to go,” Hoins said. “There were problems on and off the field that made me feel like he definitely wasn’t the right fit.”
Hoins got his wish, with Frost fired after a 1-2 start to the 2022 season and a loss to a non-power-five school, Georgia Southern. Mickey Joseph had little success in his stint as interim head coach, winning just three of his nine games.
This paved the way for the current head coach Matt Rhule to take over. Rhule’s first season started out great, with the team winning five of their first eight games, and on the verge of bowl eligibility. But the team did not win another game, losing 4 straight games by seven points or less.
Even after the disappointing end to the season, there was hope. Five-star quarterback from Georgia’s Buford high School, Dylan Raiola, was coming to town in 2024. Raiola looked to be the quarterback of the future for the Cornhuskers.
Raiola’s freshman season started better than expected, with the Cornhuskers winning five of their first six games. But the team seems to have fallen off a cliff, rattling three straight losses, including one at home loss to a previously 2-5 UCLA team.
The Huskers have experienced scrutiny and blame from all across the state for their lack of success over the previous decade. The so-called “Greatest Fans In College Football” were quick to point the finger at coaches and players alike.
The offense has experienced severe struggles over the past four weeks, and some fans are calling for a change.
Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield was on the hot seat, with his offense ranking 99th out of 133 division one schools.
On Tuesday, November 12th, Satterfield was officially demoted to tight ends coach, and Dana Holgerson will take over as the offensive coordinator. With over 20 years of experience, Holgerson hopes to bring some juice to the offensive side of the ball.
Some extremist fans are even calling for the removal of head coach Matt Rhule, as they believe that things have not changed, and the team is headed to another sub .500 season.
Junior Jase Reynolds, a division 1 football recruit with an offer from Nebraska, has met coach Rhule multiple times.
“My first impression was that he wanted to know his recruits on a personal level,” Reynolds said.” He cares more about them as a person than as a player.”
Although Rhule hasn’t won as many games as fans would like, he is beginning to create bonds and relationships with his players that will translate to success in the future.
“If I do end up at Nebraska, I know I’ll have a coach that truly cares about my development as a player, and as a person.”
It takes time to turn a program around, but Nebraska fans are impatient, and want success NOW.
After four coaches in ten years, as well as six different offensive coordinators, five defensive coordinators, and even four different athletic directors, the coaches carousel is out of control.
If the team wants to reappear at the top of college football, they need to give coaches time to build up the culture of the program. When players have to meet and bond with new coaches every season, they do not have the connections they need, on and off the field.
Nebraska fans, take a deep breath. Let Rhule, who has turned programs around before, do his job. If coaches are expected to come in and immediately win national championships, the program will never return to its glory days.
