The Nebraska football team is about to have its third defensive coordinator in three years - technically four if you count Phil Snow as interim DC until John Butler's replacement is named - and head coach Matt Rhule needs to get this hire right. Considering how many staff changes he's made in his three years in Lincoln, he likely doesn't get to do this again in 2026.
The good news is that there is no shortage of big names that Rhule could go out and get. An insane coaching carousel has led to plenty of good defensive-minded coaches looking for new jobs. It's all about whether or not the Huskers' head coach will pull the trigger on the right guy.
Would Justin Wilcox jump from the West Coast to the Corn Coast?
Despite Cal going bowling this season, Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox was fired before the final game of 2025 and is presumably looking for a new job. He'll likely be a top candidate for one of the Group of 5 openings this cycle. Still, after 9 years of trying to build a program with fewer resources than the teams he's competing with, he may want a break.
Wilcox was a very accomplished defensive coordinator, first at Boise State, then at Tennessee, Washington, then at USC, and finally at Wisconsin before getting the Cal head coaching job. While he only spent one season with the Badgers, Wisconsin was in the Top 10 of several defensive categories and finished 11-3.
Mark Stoops could bring a famous name to Nebraska
After 13 seasons as the head coach of Kentucky, Mark Stoops was fired on Sunday. It's possible that after that long, "the guy" running a Power 4 program might not be looking to take on a DC role.
On the other hand, there was a time when hiring Dana Holgorsen as the offensive coordinator seemed like a laughable idea. Matt Rhule is well respected in the coaching community. Stoops, who was a defensive coach at several stops before Kentucky, had some imposing units in his time.
Jim Knowles knows the Big Ten intimately
Before taking over Penn State's defense this year (a move that was supposed to be an upgrade for the Nittany Lions), he led Ohio State's defense during its national title run.
He's still technically with PSU, and it's hardly out of the question that whoever Penn State hires will want to retain him. But his jump from Ohio State shows that he's willing to make a move if he gets the bag. Nebraska has talked a ton about "having the money" to make noise this year. Getting a national title-winning DC would undoubtedly be a loud statement.
Brent Pry is another coach looking for a job who could land at Nebraska
Things didn't work out at Virginia Tech but before he was the head coach for the Hokies, he was the DC at Penn State from 2014 to 2021. The Nittany Lions routinely put together squads that could stop everybody but couldn't score against anybody in those years.
Maybe he'd like to come back to the Big Ten and lick his wounds for a couple of years before he tries the head coaching route again.