Within minutes of Nebraska football moving on from Ed Foley as special teams coordinator, one name was flying around social media. However, those who know how Matt Rhule operates and remember what happened the last time there was an opening at the position knew that hiring Bill Busch was almost certainly a long shot.
It continues to be unlikely that head coach Matt Rhule will turn to the former Huskers assistant. That is despite the number of people who continue to campaign for him.
Earlier this week, Busch confirmed that he hasn’t been contacted by the Nebraska football team. He doesn’t reality expect to be contacted either. That’s going to anger some fans, but Busch doesn’t seem to be holding any sort of grudge.
Nebraska football hasn’t turned to former assistant for special teams opening
“It’s an extreme honor for fans — and there have been a lot of them — to reach out in support of me,” Busch told the Omaha World-Herald. “That is very cool.”
“It would be a thrill to have a chance to discuss the position with (Nebraska). But I don’t sit here thinking that they might call. I know that Coach Rhule has a plan.”
Over his college coaching career, Busch had stops at Wisconsin, Utah, Ohio State, LSU and three tours at NU. He coached special teams at Nebraska, Wisconsin, Utah State and Rutgers. He also took over as defensive coordinator the year that Scott Frost was fired and then interim head coach Mickey Joseph fired Erik Chinander.
It was the job he did with special teams and defense in 2022 that really made him a fan favorite. But he was let go once Matt Rhule was hired, and Rhule has never shown any indication that Busch is in his plans.
That the former Husker coach would take the job if offered, will likely make some fans even angrier, even as Busch himself tries to tamp down any backlash.
“I would have great interest if they reached out to me,” Busch said. “But they have not done that — nor have I. They’re doing their own business and they know exactly what they’re doing.”
At the moment, who Rhule has talked to and what the plan might be is a pretty big mystery in and around Lincoln. There’s some talk that another former assistant, Mike Ekeler could be coming over from Tennessee. But at the moment, no one can even say if there’s really smoke, let alone fire there.
Here’s hoping that Rhule’s plan does work out, whatever it was. Because if the Nebraska football head coach hires two special teams coordinators not named Bill Busch, and that unit continues to struggle, that will be ground zero for complaints about the head man’s tenure.