"You better have guys that are in the foxhole with you," Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said when asked about special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler.
"And so if someone's one foot in, one foot out, that's not my issue, that's their issue."
Those comments might not be the official end of the Nebraska football marriage between Rhule and Ekeler. However, it's hard not to think things are heading for a divorce.
Consider that Rhule wasn't quite that blunt when he was talking about Tony White departing for Florida State last winter. The head coach never made it seem like he and his defensive coordinator weren't on the same page.
👀 Matt Rhule on Mike Ekeler: "He, obviously, has some decisions to make."
— Adam Krueger (@AdamKruegerTV) January 17, 2026
"If he doesn't want to be here, that is what it is."
"You better have guys that are in the foxhole with you & so if someone's one foot in, one foot out, that's not my issue, that's their issue." #Huskers pic.twitter.com/tl6SwxcSOP
A sharp public message from Nebraska’s head coach suggests a staff relationship fraying.
Rhule absolutely did make it sound like he and Ekeler are no longer on the same page during an appearance on Nebraska Sports Nightly. Considering earlier comments about offering the former Tennessee, USC, and Husker assistant a raise and extension in the middle of the season, they were never on the same page.
For the record, Ekeler still hasn't officially left the Cornhuskers. There have been reports for multiple days that he will go back to USC (where he spent one year in 2013), but so far, he hasn't made that decision.
Rhule has said he'd certainly like his special teams coordinator to go. However, he's also made multiple comments about how he doesn't think they'd miss much if the Trojans get their man. Not precisely the charm offensive someone expects when a head coach is trying to stop an assistant from making a lateral move.
Even when Rhule did speak glowingly of Ekeler, it was offered with the caveat that the Huskers can simply repeat what the coordinator did in 2025.
"If you look back through the year all the times I talked about Ek, I would talk about how great of a teacher and coach he is, and how the teaching progression is the best I've ever seen. So we'll keep that."
And then there was the real shot across the bow, a public skewering of the improvement every Nebraska fan saw in the special teams unit after two abysmal seasons under former coordinator Ed Foley.
"Our goal was to, 'Hey, we're going to make a jump this year. We'll outplay Iowa on special teams.' And that didn't happen. So there's a lot more meat on the bone that we want to do special teams-wise."
No, Mike Ekeler and Matt Rhule haven't divorced just yet. However, if Nebraska admins hope to keep Ek on staff, Troy Dannen needs to call in a marriage counselor before the weekend is out.