Matt Rhule fires Nebraska offensive coordinator after Illinois loss
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Matt Rhule has made a change to his coaching staff at Nebraska, one day after the Cornhuskers fell to Illinois 24-13 for their fourth straight loss. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, hired as a member of Rhule’s initial staff ahead of the 2024 season, has been fired.
“While there are many areas that need improvement, our offensive plan and execution is simply not working. Earlier today, I relieved offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen of his duties,” Rhule said in a statement on Saturday. “As I have recently shared, Dana has a fantastic offensive mind, he is a strong leader, and he has done great work here at Nebraska. But simply, we need a change.”
Holgorsen, the former head coach at West Virginia and Houston, once led some of the country’s most potent offenses. Rhule hoped that Holgorsen could replicate some of the success he had as one of college football’s top offensive coordinators.
That never happened. In 2024 and 2025, Nebraska was ranked No. 10 and No. 9, respectively, in total offense among Big Ten teams. Though their 30.2 points per game currently puts them seventh in the conference, the Huskers have averaged just 13.5 points during their losing streak. That’s in contrast to a 43.6 ppg average during their 5-0 start.
Glenn Thomas, the Huskers’ co-OC and quarterbacks coach, will now handle playcalling duties for the offense. Thomas served on Rhule’s staff at Temple as quarterbacks coach in 2015 and added offensive coordinator duties in 2016.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
