Back when the Nebraska football team finished up its 2024 season, one of the big takeaways was that the special teams needed to be fixed. Head coach Matt Rhule made that clear in his post-bowl-game press conference that the unit was getting a “complete overhaul.”
Not long after that announcement, Rhule fired special teams coordinator Ed Foley. A few months later went out and got Tennessee coordinator Mike Ekeler to replace him. But as it turns out, Rhule and the rest of the staff aren’t stopping with a new coach. The reshaping of the unit continued on Friday.
Steve Marik reported that the Nebraska football team went out and brought in Nick Humphrey as a special teams assistant. The team also made a former Husker great Brett Maher an official member of the staff as a special teams assistant. Maher came aboard last year to help with the kickers but he now has a more proper and well recognized place among Matt Rhule’s team.
Brett Maher now has an official title: special teams assistant.
— Steve Marik (@Steve_Marik) March 14, 2025
Maher was added to the staff last year helping the place kickers. https://t.co/hGSgVZbEGr
Nebraska football keeps revamping special teams unit
Both of these hires show that Rhule is taking things seriously when he says the special teams needed a complete overhaul. It’s one of the things that’s endeared him to Husker fans since he first arrived here.
The coach doesn’t tend to mince words. He also doesn’t usually say things like he did late last year unless he really means it. He has even previously said that he’s at a point in his career where he’s less worried about what he says.
The means that the Nebraska football team’s head coach is going to be even more direct in regards to what he feels like his squad needs to do in order to improve over its first bowl win since the 2015 season.