Matt Rhule says daughter was confronted by fan after Nebraska’s loss to Washington
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The Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-3, 2-3 Big Ten) fell 17-10 to the Washington Huskies in Week 9 of the 2026 college football season. Nebraska led Washington 7-3 late in regulation before two Husky touchdowns in just 16 seconds of play pushed them to victory.
Afterward, nobody was more disappointed in the result than Matt Rhule. However, he’s still angry on Monday for a different reason. According to Rhule, a fan accosted his 13-yar-old daughter following the Cornhuskers’ loss. The confrontation has him debating whether or not coaching in the modern college environment is right for him.
“A guy walked up to my 13-year-old daughter and was like, ‘F-U and F your dad,'” Rhule revealed. “I’m not going to keep coaching if it means my kids grow up screwed up. I’m not going to see my daughter shook.”
Rhule obviously enjoys coaching and helping his players grow into quality adults, but he’s not willing to sacrifice his family’s safety or mindset for the job.
“I’m not coaching for the guy that attacked my daughter. I’m coaching for the people in the boat,” Rhule said. “[But] I [told] my daughter… ‘if Daddy’s gotta retire… [I will] because I don’t want [you] growing up in that environment.'”
Rhule is 24-22 in his Cornhusker tenure. He can add a win to that ledger and earn bowl eligibility for the third straight year when Nebraska faces Illinois on Friday night (8:00 p.m. ET, FOX).
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