Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule hasn't offered any kind of timetable on when he might hire a replacement for fired defensive coordinator John Butler. So far, there haven't been a ton of solid whispers on who he's looking at.
However, there is no shortage of impressive names the Huskers could turn to. It all depends on just what Rhule is looking for and how much control over staffing he's willing to give, and they're willing to take. And then of course, there's how much NU is willing to play.
An under-the-radar name that might be the best of the bunch. Kehres leads a Toledo Rockets defense that ranks in the top five in points per game, yards per game, points per play, and yards per play this fall. Toledo also ranked third in yards allowed per rush and tenth in rushing yards. His pass defense held offenses to just a 48.4% completion percentage. That's the lowest completion percentage nationally. Yes, all of this is at a lower level of competition, but he also produced four NFL draft picks in six years at Toledo.
Cal fired Wilcox just ahead of the Golden Bears' last game of a 7-5 campaign. Before having a decent run as HC, he was an accomplished defensive coordinator who favors a base 3-4 with flexibility to match opposing personnel. He produced 14 NFL draft picks in his time at Cal. He's known for disciplined, opportunistic defenses dating back to his time as a coordinator.
He spent this year with Penn State after several years with Ohio State, including their National Title season in 2025. From 2021 to 2024, defenses coached by Knowles ranked first nationally in total defense, second in scoring defense, allowing just 15.7 points per game in that stretch, and third in third-down efficiency. Third-down efficiency is significant for Nebraska fans after two straight years of struggles in that department.
Randy Bates has led an unfailingly disruptive unit for Pitt since 2018. This season, Pitt ranks top-25 in yards per play, top-ten in yards per rush, top-15 in rushing yards per game, and top-15 in takeaways per game. From 2019 to 2024, Pitt recorded a combined 270.5 quarterback sacks, the highest total nationally in that time span. That might be welcome news for Nebraska fans who saw very few havoc plays from John Butler's group. The big question here, of course, is whether Bates is looking to make a lateral move.
Leonhard spent several seasons as Wisconsin's defensive coordinator before Luke Fickell arrived. In his time as the Badgers' defensive coordinator, Wisconsin ranked first among all Power Five teams in yards per game, allowing just 288, first downs per game (15.4), and third-down percentage (30.8) from 2017-22. The big question here is whether he'd leave the NFL to come back to the college ranks.
It's incredibly unlikely that Nebraska could hire away Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker. Seth Wallace may be the next best thing. Wallace has coached five All-American linebackers, including first-round pick Jack Campbell, and played a key role in the Hawkeyes' impressive defensive play the last few years. He may want to be a coordinator and get out from under Parker's shadow.
It's been a long time since Stoops was just a coordinator, but if he wants to get back into coaching after Kentucky fired him last week, he might need to take a DC job first. The last time he did that was at Florida State in 2012. That season, the Seminoles ranked second in the nation in total defense, sixth nationally in scoring defense, third in the country in rushing defense, and led the nation in pass defense. Matt Rhule already has a former head coach in Dana Holgorsen on offense, and Stoops may like to join the party.
Trent Bray is a former Cornhuskers assistant under Mike Riley and was even the interim head coach before Scott Frost arrived. After leaving Nebraska, he was the defensive coordinator for Oregon State and, in 2022, got a Broyles Award nomination for best assistant coach. In 2023, Oregon State ranked in the top 15 in rush defense. He's a free agent at the moment, which might make him easier to bring in.
Symons' defense has been overshadowed at SMU by its offense, but his unit put up good enough numbers that other teams have come calling often. Last year, Symons' unit ranked top-ten in defensive touchdowns, rushing defense, and team sacks, as well as top-25 in interceptions, fourth down conversion, tackles for loss, third down conversion, and red zone defense. The degree of difficulty is that he signed a new contract last December, and Nebraska will have to pay a pretty penny to lure him to the Big Ten.
Geoff Collins might be one of the most likely Husker defensive coordinators since he's a longtime friend of Matt Rhule. The NU head coach talked about how Butler "wasn't the right fit" for him, and he might be looking to someone more familiar. Collins has been a DC at North Carolina and Georgia Tech, and before that, he was the head coach at Temple. In his only season with UNC in 2024, the Tar Heels tallied 41 sacks, which tied them for the sixth-best in the nation.