Since Matt Rhule arrived in Lincoln, he's talked a very big game about getting the Nebraska football program back to where it was during the Devaney and Osborne years. At the same time, he's talked about that job not being easy and not something that would happen overnight. During a recent podcast interview with Adam Breneman, he discussed the "burden" he felt when he first took the Huskers' job and why that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Rhule has often talked about what a tremendous position he's in, as he's really come to respect everything NU stands for. And because of that, he was more than a little intimidated when he first walked the halls and saw everything that came before him.
"I think when you're the head coach in Nebraska and you walk by five national championship trophies, when you walk by three Heisman trophies, when you feel the urgency of the state that takes so much pride in their football team – (there's) a tremendous not burden in a bad way, but a tremendous burden to be quite honest, to bring that level of football back," Rhule said during the podcast.
"To bring that level of pride in what it means to be a Nebraskan, to be a Husker – back. So I think I felt that on that first day."
The first thing Matt Rhule felt at Nebraska was the urgency to win because of how much pride the entire state has in the program.
— Adam Breneman (@AdamBreneman81) May 18, 2026
That’s why he’s confident about where the Cornhuskers are headed⬇️
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Matt Rhule sees Nebraska football progress despite the pressure still building
He also made it clear he truly believes his version of Nebraska is on the way back. Even if some fans get a bit unnerved by how many staff changes have been made, or back-to-back 7-6 seasons.
"It hit a low point, and Coach Frost was a really good football coach who had done great things at Central Florida," Rhule said. "So you knew that there were some things probably systemic here that we're going to have to fix behind the scenes – and it will take a lot of work and a lot of people's effort to get it."
"We're not certainly where we want to be, but we're further along than we were. But it's not me, it's a lot of people in the administration and a lot of people on campus – and certainly all the coaches and staff – that helped us build this."
As Rhule enters Year 4, the Huskers are looking to elevate and log more than seven wins. Nebraska hasn't posted more than that in a single season in a decade, and the fans are very ready to see some real growth.
That the Huskers finished the 2025 season with three straight blowout losses didn't help. Even if those blowouts could be pinned on losing the starting quarterback, as well as key injuries to players who started Week 1 at the top of the depth chart.
Some Nebraska fans will undoubtedly see Rhule talk about the Nebraska job as a "burden," as though he's not happy or thinks he'll never succeed in Lincoln. However, he's neither tired nor giving up. He understands the weight of the job he took. Considering it was clear his predecessor didn't understand that until it was far too late, Rhule's grasp of the situation could be a sign that a turnaround is coming.
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